Dede Korkut name proposed for Bayburt-Gümüşhane Airport

Ünal Yaşaroğlu, President of the Dede Korkut Platform, has proposed naming the upcoming Bayburt-Gümüşhane Airport after the legendary figure Dede Korkut. The proposal aims to resolve ongoing naming disputes between the two provinces by selecting a name that holds shared cultural significance for both regions, Turkey, and the broader Turkic world.

Yaşaroğlu noted that the airport's location has historical ties to the Akkoyunlu Beylik, and the tomb of Fahreddin Kutlu Bey—father of the Akkoyunlu founder Kara Yölük Osman Bey—is situated approximately 10 kilometers from the site. He suggested that the name Dede Korkut aligns with the historical identity of the area and could support cultural cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States.

While acknowledging other valuable figures proposed for the airport, such as Oltan Sungurlu and Naci Ağbal, Yaşaroğlu argued that Dede Korkut serves as a unifying symbol. The proposal will be formally submitted to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, and MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli.