Between arabesk culture and football culture: arabesk reflections in the chants of football fans

The coexistence and development of arabesk music culture and football culture in Türkiye have emerged as two significant phenomena. This study focuses on the contemporary manifestations of arabesk chants that football fans began using in Turkish football stadiums from the 1980s onwards. Through ethnographic methods, fans were observed during Fenerbahçe football matches, and interviews were conducted to determine the motivations behind their use of arabesk chants during games. As a result of observing four football matches involving Fenerbahçe fans and conducting interviews with 20 individuals, it was determined that most fans engaged in chants adapted from arabesk music throughout the matches. An evaluation of these chants revealed that the themes in arabesk music motivating the fans during matches encompassed motivation/passion, pain/reflection, and profanity/violence. The study concludes that the main supporters of arabesk chants, which emerged in stadiums in the 1980s, continue to represent this subculture.