TRIAL SHEDS LIGHT ON SHADES OF TURKEY
Turkish Daily News
June 10 2008
A report commissioned eight years ago by the highest advisory body
in the land investigates how many Turks, Kurds and people of other
extractions are living in Turkey. The report comes to light as part
of the trial for the murder of three Christian misionaries
The trial of the suspects of the murder of three Christian
missionaries in the eastern province of Malatya last year unveiled a
study undertaken by a group of Turkish universities to shed light on
the size of the country’s different ethnic groups, including Kurds,
Arabs and Georgians
The National Security Council (MGK) asked a committee of academics from
Erciyes University in Kayseri province, Fırat University in Elazıg
province and İnönu University in Malatya to prepare a report on the
ethnic composition of Turkey eight years ago. Currently attached to
the Malatya massacre case, the report cites quite interesting figures.
About 9 million Alevis:
Although some sources say the population of Alevis in Turkey ranges
between 5 and 25 million, it is approximately 8.75 million, according
to the MGK report.
When the 1 million Alevis living in Europe as well as those living
in eight provinces where the study was not carried out, the number
of Alevi citizens is estimated to reach about 10 million.
Taking into account the fact the research on the Alevi population was
carried out eight years ago, the number is predicted to be about 11
million today. This indicates that 85 percent of Turkey’s population
is of the Sunni denomination of Islam.
The was supervised by Professor Å~^aban Kuzgun and was carried out in
68 provinces. It drew a profile of the ethnic and religious backgrounds
of the people who live in these provinces. The report also includes
figures about who belongs to which denomination of Islam.
Below is the ethnic composition of Turkey as shown in the MGK report:
– Turks: Ethnic Turkish groups such as Turkmen, Yuruks, Tatars,
Tahtacis, Terekemes, Karacays, and Azerbaijanis make up Turks in the
country. The size of this group, which has currently no ties with
its ethnic roots, is about 50 million but reaches 55 million those
currently undergoing a Turkification process are included.
– Kurds: This is the second biggest ethnic group in Turkey, according
to the MGK report. When Zazas, who are about 3 million, are included,
the Kurdish population in Turkey exceeds 12.6 million. A further 2.5
million are undergoing a Turkification process and in some regions
there is a number of people who deny their Kurdish origins.
– Georgians: This group lives mainly in the Black Sea provinces of
Ordu, Artvin, Samsun, and in the Marmara region. Their population
is about 1 million. Excluding those who live in a few villages in
the Black Sea region, many Georgians have already forgotten their
mother tongue.
– Bosnians: Located mainly in Adapazarı, Ä°zmir and Manisa, the
population of Bosnians living in Turkey is about 2 million.
– Circassians: Disperesed around different provinces of Turkey, the
Circassian population is about 2.5 million. Some 80 percent of those
cannot speak the Circassian language.
– Arabs: This group lives mainly in the cities of Siirt, Å~^ırnak,
Mardin, Diyarbakır, Å~^anlıurfa, Hatay, Adana and Istanbul. The
Arab population in Turkey is 870,000.
– Albanians: There are more than 1.3 million Albanians in Turkey. Half
of the community has currently no ties with Albania as a result of the
Turkification process they have undergone in the past decades. For
about 500,000 Albanians, however, being and Albanian is highly
important.
Laz: In Turkey, there is a widespread false belief that all people
from the eastern parts of the Black Sea region are Laz. But in fact,
the Laz people, who migrated from the Caucasus and speak a language
called the Lazuri, live in some villages of Rize and Artvin provinces
of the Black Sea region and some parts of the Marmara region. Their
population is about 80,000.
– HemÅ~_ins: Just as the Laz, the HemÅ~_ins also live in some villages
or districts of Rize and Artvin, and their population is about 13,000.
– Pomaks: Some sources say Pomaks are of Turkish descent but some
say they have Slavic origins. The population of Pomaks in Turkey is
about 600,000 and they have already been Turkified.
– Other ethnic groups: The total population of all other ethnic groups
living in Turkey is just over 1 million. Roma people constitute the
majority with a population of 700,000. In addition, about 60,000
Armenians, 20,000 Jews, 15,000 Rums (Greeks with Turkish citizenship)
and a very few number of Assyrians live in Turkey.
Population of Turks slowly increases
The MGK report says population growth in Turkey has been low within
the last 15 years. Population of the Kurds, on the other hand,
increases 2.5 percent each year.
The report also reveals that the population of the Bosnians declines
0.12 percent each year, while the number ıf Turks declines by 0.8
percent and that of Albanians declines by 0.5 percent each year.
The highest level of Turkification is recorded among Kurds. They are
followed by the Bosnians, the Circassians, and the Albanians. Arabs
migrating from the southeastern parts of Turkey have been undergoing
a rapid Turkification process, according to the report.
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