This document summarizes the various minority groups living in Turkey, including their population sizes, cultural practices, and history. It discusses the Kurdish population of over 5 million people and their involvement in Turkish wars as well as past prohibitions on speaking Kurdish and enjoying Kurdish music and culture. The document also briefly outlines the Bosnian, Albanian, Arab, Gypsy, and Armenian populations in Turkey, as well as smaller groups such as Pomaks, Zazas, Crimean Tatars, Jews, and Assyrians. It notes the diversity but also shared culture of peoples living together in cities like Mardin, Hatay, and Adıyaman.

1. Minorities in Turkey
Sevda ERDİL
İlknur ATALAY
Consultant;
Musa GÜRBÜZ
November, 2013

2. The Kurdish People (more than 5 million)
After the Turks, in the borders of the
Turkish Republic, the nation composing
the largest majority is the Kurds. They
are one of the settled residents of the
Mesopotamia region.

3. I am Kurdish. Just
like the most
Kurdish people,
my greatgrandfather was
involved in the
war of Çanakkale
(Dardanelles) and
martyrized.
Because the Kurds and the Turks have been living
together for a long time they have formed a common
culture and a way of life. Even girls and boys have
married from each other’s nation.

4. In the 1980s, because the military took over the
government,speaking the Kurdish language,
following the Kurdish publishing and even singing
the Kurdish songs and listening to them were
prohibited for a long time. Today all of these
prohibitions have been removed step by step and
now in Turkey written and visual broadcasting in
many languages can be made.
Lets listen some Kurdish Music, it was forbidden
in Turkey until 1996…

5. With the Treaty of Lausanne, to some nations
living in Turkey the right to have education in
their own languages was given.
 And the Modern Kurdish Music

6. Bosnians & Albanians (between one and five
million)
• Bosnians never marry
with relations.
• They have pita(Boşnak
böreği)
every the day before the
relagional festival.
…
• Albanians femous dish is Arnavut Liver(ciğer)
and their clothes
…

7. Arabs
They speak arabic. But they dont use arabic
letters
Clasic
Modern

8. Gypsies (between 5 hundred thousand and one
million)
The smile of the life
They can dance with door creaks
Clasic
Modern

9. Armenian (40.000-70.000)
Femous Armenian in Turkey
To listen a Armenian Music
From Left to Right
Berç Keresteciyan
Türker • Agop Dilaçar •
Kenan Pars
Ara Güler • Hrant Dink
• Hayko Cepkin

10. Pomaks, Zazas, Crimean Tatars,Jews, Assyrians,
Georgian (between one hundred thousand and
five hundred thousand)

11. Besides the common culture of the people living
in Turkey, different ways of life, beliefs and
values have formed. The best example of this can
be seen in Mardin, Hatay and Adıyaman. In these
cities Muslims, Christians, Jews, Assyrians and
Yezidislive together.The people living here
celebrate each other’s’ special days together.
They share each other’s sorrows and happiness.
Sorrows lessen by sharing and happiness grows
by sharing. Long live the brotherhood of the
people.

12. THANK
YOU 