The meaning of the word Bayāt is uncertain. It may be an abbreviated form of Abyāt, meaning stanzas. The word Tork (Turk), on the other hand, is clear enough. Yet, in connection with this dastgāh, it does not refer to the Turks of Turkestan, Azerbaijan (i.e. both Soviet and Iranian Azerbaijan) or Turkey. It is believed that many of the songs of the Turkic tribes of Southern Persia, notably the Qašqāi, are in this mode, and that the reference is to them. In fact, this dastgāh is also known by the name of Bayāt-e Zand, which stands for the Zand tribe (also of Turkic stock) of the Fārs region. This title, however, is not commonly used today for the dastgāh.

As shown in the previous two chapters, there are some bases for considering Abuatā and Dašti as satellites of Šur. The connection between Bayāt-e Tork and Afšāri with Šur seems much more tenuous, even though the tradition identifies them as derivatives of Šur. It is true, however, that some pieces in the collection of these two dastgāhs are modally close to the mode of Šur.

In identifying both Bayāt-e Tork and Afšāri as independent dastgāhs, it is of far greater importance that both have modal schemes distinct from Šur. Furthermore, they have forud patterns of their own with notes of ist and finalis different from those of Šur. In this connection, therefore, it is difficult to reconcile tradition with analytical observation.