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| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Bayirbujak and otherareas of settlement | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlySunni Islam, minorityAlevism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Syrian Turkmen, also calledSyrian Turks orSyrian Turkish people (Arabic:تركمان سوريا,romanized: Turkumān Sūriyā;Turkish:Suriye Türkmenleri)[a] areSyrian citizens ofTurkish origin who mainly trace their roots toAnatolia (i.e. modernTurkey).Turkish-speaking Syrian Turkmen make up thethird largest ethnic group in the country, after theArabs andKurds respectively.[1][2][3][4][5]
The majority of Syrian Turkmen are the descendants of migrants who arrived in Syria duringOttoman rule (1516–1918);[6][7] however, there are also many Syrian Turkmen who are the descendants of earlier Turkish settlers that arrived during theSeljuk (1037–1194) andMamluk (1250–1517) periods. Some estimates indicate that ifArabized Turkmen (those who no longer speak Turkish as their main language) are taken into account, they form the second-largest group in the country.[5] The majority of Syrian Turkmen areSunni Muslims.[5]
Syrian Turkmen share common genealogical and linguistic ties with the Turkish people in Turkey andIraqi Turkmen, but do not identify themselves with theTurkmen ofTurkmenistan andCentral Asia.[7][8] Most live near theSyrian-Turkish border, in an area that runs from the northwestern governorates ofIdlib andAleppo to theRaqqa Governorate. Others reside in theTurkmen Mountain nearLatakia, the city ofHoms and its vicinity untilHama,Damascus, and the southwestern governorates ofDaraa (borderingJordan) andQuneitra (borderingIsrael).[9]
During the ongoingSyrian Civil War, many Syrian Turkmen were involved in military action against theAssad regime until its fall in December 2024. Additionally, they have been fighting against theSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and have looked to theTurkish Armed Forces for support and protection. Many united under an official governing body, theSyrian Turkmen Assembly, and established the military wing of the assembly, theSyrian Turkmen Brigades.[10] However, not all Turkmen support theTurkish occupation of northern Syria, and some have sided with the SDF, forming theSeljuk Brigade.
Turkic migration to Syria began in the 11th century during the rule of theSeljuk Empire.[9][6] However, most Turkmen settled in the region after theOttoman sultanSelim I conquered Syria in 1516.[11][12] The Ottoman administration encouraged Turcoman families fromAnatolia[7] to establish villages throughout the rural hinterlands of several cities inOttoman Syria (and later theSyria Vilayet).[9] Migration from Anatolia to Syria was continuous for over 400 years of Ottoman rule, until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1918; nonetheless, Syrian Turkmen community continued to reside in the region during theFrench Mandate and the formation ofSyrian Republics.[9]
Syrian Turkmen have had a presence in Syria since the 11th century.[13] The first recorded entry of free Turkmen troops into Syria was in 1064 when the Turkmen princeIbn Khan and 1,000 of his archers enteredAleppo.[14][15] He came at the request of theArabMirdasid emirAtiyya ibn Salih to assist him against his ownBanu Kilab tribesmen who backed a rival Mirdasid emir,Mahmud ibn Nasr.[14][15] Turkmen rule in the region began with theSeljuk conquests in the Middle East. TheSeljuk Turks opened the way for mass migration of Turkish nomads once they entered northern Syria in 1071, and tookDamascus in 1078 and Aleppo in 1086.[16] By the 12tn century the TurkicZengid dynasty (avassal of the Seljuk Empire) continued to settle Turkmen in thewilayah ofAleppo to confront attacks from theCrusaders. In return for their military service, the Turkic rulers distributedfiefs in the area to the Turkmen.[13]
In 1260, theMamluk Sultanate – ruled by a line of Turkish and Circassian sultans – entered Syria in response to the Mongol invasions. WhilstCairo remained the seat of the Mamluk Sultanate,Damascus became their second capital.[17] Hence, by the thirteenth century, the Turkmen formed a part of the armies of Damascus andAleppo, and permanently settled in these regions.[18] After theBahri sultan of theMamluks,Baibars, destroyedQara he settled Turkmen in the town in 1265. Two years later, he settled more Turkmen in the Syrian coast to protect the region. The Turkmen were called on to assist in the capture ofMargat by the Muslim commander of theKrak des Chevaliers in 1280.[18] The late Mamluk-era writerAhmad al-Qalqashandi noted that Turkmen formed contingents in the regular armies of greater Syria. By the 15th century, the Muslim writer Khalil az-Zahiri recorded 180,000 Turkmen soldiers and 20,000 Kurdish soldiers in Syria.[18] The Turkmen mainly lived in the provinces ofAleppo and were settled in suburbs such as al-Hadir al-Sulaymani; they also live near the coast and theJawlan (i.e. Golan Heights).[18]
Mamluk rule of Syria ended once theOttoman SultanSelim I conquered the region in 1516–17.[19] Thereafter, the Ottoman administration encouraged Turkish nomads fromAnatolia to settle in strategic areas of the region. By the sixteenth century the Ottomans continued to settle Turkmen in the rural areas aroundHoms andHama to keep theBedouin in check and serve asmütesellim.[20]
Turkish migration fromAnatolia toOttoman Syria was continuous for almost 400 years, until Ottoman rule ended in 1918.[12] The Turkish settlement throughout the rural hinterlands of several Syrian cities was a state-organized population transfer which was used to counter the demographic weight and influence of other ethnic groups in the region. Furthermore, the Turkmen served as the local gendarmes to help assert Ottoman authority.[9]
By the late nineteenth century, many Turkish refugees who lost their lands toRussia in theEuropean regions of the Ottoman Empire (particularly in theBalkans) settled in Ottoman Syria between 1878 and 1906 and were provided with new lands by the Ottoman state.[21] According toDawn Chatty, these Turkmen settlers (alongsideCircassian andChechen refugees) became loyal subjects to the sultan and were "driven to succeed in agriculture and ready to defend themselves against anyBedouin claims to the land on which they had built their villages".[21]
According to the French geographerVital Cuinet (1833–96), the Ottoman Turks (excluding Turkmen nomads) formed the second largest ethnic group, after theSyrian Arabs, in theAleppo Sanjak. In his best known workLa Turquie d'Asie, géographie administrative: statistique, descriptive et raisonnée de chaque province de l'Asie Mineure he stated that the demographic structure of theSanjak was as follows:
| Ethnic and religious groups | Estimated population in theAleppo Sanjak (ca.1890-95)[22][page needed] | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Syrian Arab | 300,541 | 38.41% |
| Ottoman Turk | 159,787 | 20.43% |
| Kurdish and Turkmen nomads | 103,744 | 13.26% |
| Greek Catholic | 23,315 | 2.98% |
| Syrian Catholic | 20,913 | 2.67% |
| Syrian Jacobite | 20,594 | 2.63% |
| Jew | 19,633 | 2.51% |
| Greek Orthodox | 18,665 | 2.39% |
| Armenian Apostolic | 17,999 | 2.30% |
| Chaldean Catholic | 17,027 | 2.18% |
| Armenian Catholic | 15,563 | 1.96% |
| Chaldean non-Uniate | 15,300 | 1.96% |
| Protestant | 9,033 | 1.15% |
| Circassian | 9,000 | 1.15% |
| Other Muslims (Fellah, Ansarieh, Tahtaji, Nusairi) | 26,713 | 3.41% |
| Other Catholic (Latin and Maronite) | 4,447 | 0.57% |
| Total | 782,274 | 100% |
In 1921, theTreaty of Ankara establishedAlexandretta (present-dayHatay) under an autonomous regime underFrench Mandate of Syria. The Turks were initially satisfied with this agreement, because Article 7 declared that "The Turkish inhabitants of this district shall enjoy every facility for their cultural development. TheTurkish language shall have official recognition." Moreover, Article 9 stated that thetomb ofSuleyman Shah, grandfather of the firstOttoman rulerOsman I, "shall remain, with its appurtenances, the property of Turkey."[23]
| Population of Hatay State in 1936 according to the French census[24] | ||||||
| Ethnic group | Inhabitants | % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turks | 85,800 | 39% | ||||
| Alawites | 61,600 | 28% | ||||
| Armenians | 24,200 | 11% | ||||
| Sunni Arabs | 22,000 | 10% | ||||
| otherChristians | 17,600 | 8% | ||||
| Circassians,Jews,Kurds | 8,800 | 4% | ||||
| Total | 220,000 | 100% | ||||
In September 1936, France announced that it would grant full independence to Syria, which would also include Alexandretta. The President of theRepublic of Turkey,Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, responded with a demand that Alexandretta be given its own independence.[25] The issue was brought before theLeague of Nations, which sent a mission to the district in January 1937. The mission concluded that the Turks constituted a majority and by July 1938 elections were held in the province; the Turks formed a majority of 22 seats in a 40-seat parliament of the newly establishedHatay State, which remained a joint Franco-Turkish protectorate.[26] The Hatay State began usingTurkish flags, and petitionedAnkara to unify Hatay to the Republic of Turkey. France finally agreed to the Turkish annexation on 23 July 1939.[25] Today, theBayırbucak region, the coastal and rural section covering the northern Latakia area, has a considerable Turkmen presence and is considered by some Turks as a "stretch of the modern Turkish Hatay Province".[27]
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After theSanjak of Alexandretta became the province ofHatay in theRepublic of Turkey, in 1939, some Turkish families immigrated into the new borders of Syria, settling in the provinces ofAleppo andDamascus.[30] Hence, new "Turkish streets" began to emerge, such as in theal-Salihia district inDamascus. Family unifications of Turkmen families living on both sides of the Syrian-Turkish border continued for more than 70 years until the outbreak of the Syrian revolution.[30]
By 1950,Latakia showed great economic potential as the largest port city in Syria, and many Syrian Turkmen living in rural villages joined the Turkmen community already established there. Consequently, there is now a total of 265 Turkish villages in and around Latakia center.[31]
In addition to urban migrations, under the name of "land reform", lands owned by the Turkmen were nationalized and Arabs were resettled in areas near the Turkish border. Arabization policies also saw the names of Turkish villages renamed with Arabic names.[31] Thus, a mass exodus of Syrian Turkmen migration to Turkey took place between 1945 and 1953, many of which settled inKirikhan,Alexandretta andAdana, in southern Turkey.[30]
The cultural and political rights of the Turkish-speaking minority remaining in Syrian territories was not guaranteed under any legal constitution.[31] Those living in large groups managed to protect their cultural identity, however, Turkmen living in smaller groups were significantly Arabized. In any case, the minority had no rights to open Turkish schools or associations.[31]
By the late 20th century, Dr. Larry Clark stated there was "more than 200,000" Turkmen in Syria[32] whilst theGerman Orient-Institute [de] stated that estimates ranged between 800,000 and 1 million.[33] Numerous academics placed theTurkish-speakingSunni Muslim population (i.e. not including Arabized or Alevi/Shia Turkmen) at approximately 3% of Syria's population, including ProfessorDaniel Pipes[34] ProfessorItamar Rabinovich,[35] Professor Moshe Ma'oz,[36] Dr.Nikolaos van Dam,[37] Dr Henry Munson,[38] ProfessorAlasdair Drysdale and Professor Raymond Hinnebusch.[39]
Since the beginning of theSyrian civil war in 2011, large numbers of Syrian Turkmen have been displaced from their homes and many have been killed due to attacks by PresidentBashar al-Assad's government, as well as the terrorist attacks carried out by "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL). Whilst Turkmen villages inHama,Homs, andLatakia have been destroyed by the Syrian government, Turkmen villages inAleppo were occupied by ISIL.[40]
Syrian Turkmen, with the support of theRepublic of Turkey, have taken up arms against the Syrian government.[11] Several Syrian Turkmen parties united under theSyrian Turkmen Assembly, which is affiliated with theNational Coalition opposition group.[11] A Second Coastal Division was formed in 2015 and along with another extensive Turkmen militia groupSultan Murad Division, the Turkmen brigades are closely affiliated with theFree Syrian Army (FSA). Another Syrian Turkmen unit – theSeljuk Brigade and the Manbij Turkmen Brigade – have sided with the Kurdish-ledPeople's Protection Units (YPG) and joined theUS-backed Kurdish-led opposition coalition called theSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF).[11]
Since the beginning of theSyrian civil war many Syrianrefugees (including Syrian Turkmen) have sought asylum inTurkey,Jordan,Lebanon and northernIraq,[41] as well as severalWestern European countries[42] andAustralia.[43] Moreover, many Syrian Turkmen have also been internally displaced from their homes, forcing them to settle in other parts of Syria.[citation needed]
In 2012 theUN Refugee Agency had stated that Syrian Turkmen formed a significant number of the first wave of refugees who enteredTurkey.[44]
An article published byReuters in 2015, reporting the Russian raids hitting Syrian Turkmen areas (after a Russian plane was shot down on theTurkey-Syria border), said that "Officials estimate 300,000 Turkmen used to live in northernLatakia" before the Russians "heavily targeted ethnic Turkmen areas."[45]Al Jazeera English has also reported that the "Russian escalation of attacks on Turkmen areas" displaced "300,000 Turkmen from northern Latakia alone."[46]
The Syrian Government of presidentBashar al-Assad, backed byRussia since 2015, have targeted several areas populated by Syrian Turkmen, as they were largely involved in anti-government attacks. On 2 February 2016, at least seven women and children were killed by Russian air strikes in a Syrian Turkmen village in the northern countryside ofHoms.[47] In the same month Russian warplanes had staged 600 strikes on Syrian Turkmen villages, displacing approximately 10,000 people.[48]
There were also reports of forced displacement of Arabs, Syrian Turkmen and Kurdish civilians at the hands of theYPG from their homes in areas in theDemocratic Federation of Northern Syria.[49][50] In June 2015 there was concern expressed by the UN Human Rights Council regarding displacement of Syrian Turkmen from their homes in villages south ofHasakah andTal Abyad during fighting with ISIL.[51] Approximately 200 Syrian Turkmen refugees fled toUrfa, in southern Turkey, while 700 more fled to the eastern areas of Tal Abyad, once the YPG seized the town of Tell Hammam al-Turkman fromISIL, and there were claims that the YPG had accused the locals of collaborating with ISIL.[52]
There are no reliable estimates on the total number of ethnic minorities living in Syria because official censuses conducted under theAssad regime had only asked citizens about their religion. Therefore, Syrian citizens were not allowed to declare their ethnic origin nor their mother tongue.[1] Dr. Abdelwahed Mekki-Berrada, in a report published by theUNHCR, points out that the majority of Syrians are consideredArab, however, this is a term based on their spoken language, and not their ethnic affiliation.[1] Consequently, this has created difficulties in estimating the total Syrian Turkmen population, which includes both Turkish-speaking as well asArabized Turkmen.[31]
According to Professor Taef El-Azhari, the Syrian Turkmen “have always been the forgotten minority in the area, despite their large population.”[53] Various professors, such as Dr. Abdelwahed Mekki-Berrada and Pierre Beckouche,[54][1] have all placed the Turkish-speaking Syrian Turkmen as the third largest ethnic group in the country, afterArabs andKurds respectively. Yet, a report published by theArab Reform Initiative suggests that they may form the second largest ethnic group ifArabized Turkmen are also taken into account:
"Turkmen are the third largest ethnic group in Syria, making up around 4-5% of the population. Some estimations indicate that they are the second biggest group, outnumbering Kurds, drawing on the fact that Turkmen are divided into two groups: the rural Turkmen who make up 30% of the Turkmen in Syria and who have kept their mother tongue, and the urban Turkmen who have become Arabised and no longer speak their mother language. Turkmen are mostly found in the urban centres and countryside of six governorates of Syria: Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Quneitra." –Mustafa Khalifa (2013, published by theArab Reform Initiative)[5]
Assistant Professor Sebastian Maisel, focusing on theYezidis, claimed that Syrian Turkmen numbered 250,000, which constitutes approximately 1% of the population.[55] However, Professor Pierre Beckouche stated thatSunni Muslim Turkmen alone formed 4% of the country's population before 2011, with their population estimated at approximately 1 million.[54] Professor John Shoup has said that in 2018, theTurkish-speaking Syrian Turkmen formed around 4-5% of the population.[2] Dr.Jonathan Spyer, as well as a report published in cooperation between theNorwegian Church Aid and theWorld Council of Churches, stated that the Syrian Turkmen number anywhere from 500,000 to 3 million.[56][57] ProfessorPierre Piccinin claims that whilst 1.5 million Syrian Turkmen areTurkish-speaking, their total population is between 3.5 and 6 million (15% to 20% of the population), including those who have adoptedArabic as their mother tongue.[3]
In December 2016, the Turkish Foreign Ministry UndersecretaryÜmit Yalçın stated that Turkey had opened its borders to around 500,000 Syrian Turkmen.[59] Most Syrian Turkmen settled inIstanbul,Gaziantep,Osmaniye,Hatay,Izmir,Malatya, andKonya.
In 2020, theVoice of America reported that 1,000,000 Syrian Turkmen, including their descendants, who are living in Turkey have requested to become Turkish citizens.[60]
In October 2015, the Syrian independent newspaperZaman Al Wasl reported that around 120,000 to 150,000 Syrian Turkmen were refugees inLebanon, hence outnumbering theTurkish minority of Lebanon.[61][62] By 2018, the number of Syrian Turkmen in Lebanon had increased to approximately 200,000.[63]
A substantial number of Syrian Turkmen refugees had also sought refuge inJordan.[41]
Outside of theMiddle East, Syrian Turkmen refugees have mainly migrated to Western Europe, particularlyGermany.[43]
Established in Germany, the "Suriye Türkmen Kültür ve Yardımlaşma Derneği – Avrupa", or "STKYDA"(“Syrian Turkmen Culture and Solidarity Association – Europe”), was the first Syrian Turkmen association to be launched in Europe.[64] It was established in order to help the growing Syrian Turkmen community, which arrived to the country as part of theEuropean migrant crisis, which started in 2014 and saw its peak in 2015. The association includes Syrian Turkmen youth activists who originate from various Syrian cities and now reside across Western Europe.[65]
Most Syrian Turkmen live in the area around the northernEuphrates, near theSyrian-Turkish border; however, they are also scattered throughout several governorates, stretching towards central Syria and the southern region near theGolan Heights. In particular, the Turkmen are concentrated in the urban centers and countryside of six governorates of Syria: in theAleppo Governorate, theDamascus Governorate, theHoms Governorate, theHama Governorate, theLatakia Governorate and theQuneitra Governorate.[5][67] There are also smaller Turkmen communities living in theDaraa Governorate;[67] as well as inTartous,Raqqa, andIdlib governorates.[40]
In the Aleppo governorate, the main locales in which the Turkmen live include the city ofAleppo (with Bustan al-Basha, Haydariyah, Hllok, Sheikh Hizir, Sheikh Feriz, Saladdin, Owaijah being neighborhoods with ethnic Turkmen populations) and the countryside in the northern part of the governorate. They also live in the villages next to the cities ofAzaz,Al-Bab, andJarabulus.[5][68][69]Al-Rai is also a Turkmen-dominated town. There are 16 Turkmen-dominated villages south ofMount Simeon, 17 Turkmen villages in the district of Azaz, 29 villages to the east of that region, 3 villages connected to Aleppo, 69 villages around Al-Rai, 26 villages in the vicinity of Jarabulus, and 23 villages south ofSajur River.[70]
In the Latakia governorate the Turkmen live mostly in theTurkmen Mountains (Jabal al-Turkman),Al-Badrusiyah,Umm al-Tuyour, and in various villages near theSyrian-Turkish border.[5] There is also a number of Turkmen districts, includingBayırbucak and Jimmel Harresi where there are many Turkmen villages.[67]
In the Damascus governorate the Turkmen live in the city ofDamascus, and Harret Al Turkman is a Turkmen district whereTurkish is predominantly spoken.[67] In the Homs governorate the Turkmen mostly live in the city ofHoms and the surrounding villages, such as Kara Avshar, Inallu, and Kapushak.[67] They also live inGharnatah,Al-Krad,Burj Qa'i,al-Sam'lil, and in villages in theHoula plain.[5] In the Hama governorate the Turkmen live in the city ofHama and are also scattered in numerous villages around the district.[5] For example, Baba Amir Haras is a prominent Turkmen district.[67] There are also Turkmen living inAqrab andTalaf.[71] In the Quneitra governorate the Turkmen are scattered in numerous villages in the districts ofQuneitra.[5] They predominantly reside in the villages of Dababiye, Rezaniye, Sindiyane, Aynul Kara, Aynul Simsim, Ulayka, Aynul Alak, Ahmediye, Kafer Nafah, Mugir, Hafir, Hüseyniye, and Ayn Ayse.[67]
According toThe Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics, theTurkish language is the third most widely used language in Syria (afterArabic andKurdish).[4] It is spoken by the Turkmen minority mostly in villages east of theEuphrates, north ofAleppo, and on the northern coast of the country, along theSyrian-Turkish border.[4][85][86][87] In addition, there are Turkishlanguage islands in theQalamun area and theHoms area.[4] Moreover, Syrian Arabic dialects have also borrowed manyloanwords from Turkish.[4] Mustafa Khalifa claims that, Turkmen are divided into two groups: Rural Turkish-speaking Turkmen, constituting 30% of Syrian Turkmen, and UrbanArabic-speaking Turkmen.[5]
Various dialects of Turkish are spoken throughout Syria: inAleppo they speak aKilis andAntep dialect; inTell Abyad andRaqqa they speak anUrfa dialect; and inBayırbucak they speak aHatay/Yayladağı dialect of theTurkish language.[88] Some Syrian Turkmen living far from theTurkish border, such as inHoms, have managed to preserve their national identity but are more competent in speaking theArabic language. InDamascus Syrian Turkmen speak the Turkish language of aYörük dialect.[88]
In 2018 Dr. Eldad J. Pardo and Maya Jacobi reported that they did not identify any Turkish (norKurdish orAramaic) teaching, either as a first or second language, in the Syriannational curriculum.[89]
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The majority of Syrian Turkmen areSunni Muslims,[5][37][57][90] but there is also a small minority of Turkmen who areShia Muslims (particularlyAlevis andBektashis). Ali Öztürkmen claims that the Turkmen community is 99% Sunni whilst the remainder (1%) practice Shia Islam.[91]
There are also some Syrian "Nawar people" (a derogatory term for people who live a mobile lifestyle – often described as "gypsies"[92]) who speakTurkish, some of whom self-identify as Turkmen;[93] those practicingIslam belong to theSunni,Shiite, andAlevi/Bektashi religious groups.[93][94] There are also some who practiceChristianity.[93]
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From theFrench mandate era to the Assad regime, the Turkish culture and language have perished for a section of the Syrian Turkmen community.[96] Many Syrian Turkmen have becomeArabized and indistinguishable from theArabs in areas where they form a minority. Consequently, Arabization is mainly an exception in areas where the Syrian Turkmen live in areas where they form a significant population, where they have continued to maintain their Turkish identity and language despite discriminative state policies.[96]
Under the rule ofHafez al-Assad, there has been a ban on Syrian Turkmen communities from publishing works inTurkish.[11][97]
Syrian Turkmen occupied a low rung on the societal ladder, as reported byAl Bawaba, it was stated that Assad always sought to benefit his politically dominant Alawite religious minority. The report quotedBayırbucak Turkmen as highlighting, "They would take Alawites first no matter what, even if they had degrees, Turkmen couldn't find jobs".[98]
Several Turkish families, such as theal-Atassi (Atasi), Bey Kanj Pasha Zadeh (Genç Yussef Pasha 1807–1811),Al-Azm, Qawuqji, Quwwatli (Kuvvetli) and Shishakli (Çiçekçi), continued to rule Syria as Prime Ministers or Presidents.[99] However, by the 1960s the pan-Arab Baathist movement of theAl-Assad family sidelined non-Arabs from politics.[105]
The third largest ethnic group in Syria is the Turkish speakers...They comprise around 4-5 percent of the total population
Les Turcomans pratiquant exclusivement leur dialecte turc sont 1 500 000. L'ensemble des Turcomans de Syrie (y compris ceux qui ont adopté l'arabe comme langue usuelle), sont estimés entre 3,5 et 6 millions, soit de 15 à 20 % de la population. C'est le troisième groupe de population en importance.
In the context of Syria, though, the term ["Turkmen"] is used somewhat differently, to refer mainly to people of Turkish heritage whose families migrated to Syria from Anatolia during the centuries of the Ottoman period — and thus would be closer kin to the Turks of Turkey than to the Turkmens of Central Asia...Q. How many are there? A. No reliable figures are available, and estimates on the number of Turkmens in Syria and nearby countries vary widely, from the hundreds of thousands up to 3 million or more.
Syria's Turkmen communities are descendants of Oghuz Turkish tribal migrants who began moving from Central Asia into the area of modern-day Syria during the 10th century, when the Turkic Seljuk dynasty ruled much of the region. Under the Ottomans, Turkmen were encouraged to establish villages throughout the rural hinterlands of several Syrian cities in order to counter the demographic weight and influence of the settled and nomadic and semi-nomadic Arab tribesmen that populated the region. Syrian Turkmen were also settled to serve as local gendarmes to help assert Ottoman authority over roads and mountain passes in diverse regions such as the Alawite-majority, northwestern coastal governorate of Latakia. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, communities of Turkmen continued to reside in the country.
BARAKAT, Subhi (c. 1886-) Syrian Head of State. He was born into a Turkish family in Antioch and was educated in the local secondary school.
ولد خليل بن أحمد مختار مردم بك في دمشق عام 1895، من أصل تركي.
But the result was a Russian escalation of attacks on Turkmen areas, displacing 300,000 Turkmen from northern Latakia alone. Since then, Syrian government forces have taken control of many villages and hilltops on the Turkmen Mountain.
The Turkmens of Syria are ethnic Turks, numbering anywhere from 500,000 to three million.
Yalçın explained how Turkey opened its borders to 100,000 Turkmens from Iraq and 500,000 from Syria, sharing their pain and trying to mend their wounds as much as they could with economic, social and humanitarian aid.
1 Milyon Suriyeli Türkmen Vatandaşlık Hakkından Yararlanmak İstiyor.
There are about 5,000 Turkmen families in Lebanon, making between 125,000 and 150,000 people
Around 5,000 Syrian Turkmen families have fled to Lebanon, totaling between 125,000 and 150,000 people from all regions of Syria
Yaklaşık olarak 200 bin Türkmen'in Lübnan'da yaşadığı tahmin edilmektedir.
The Qabbani family was of Turkish origin and came from Konya; their original family name was Ak Bıyık, meaning "white moustache" in Turkish.
Al-Damand was a man of Turkish origin, who could hardly speak Arabic...
We did not identify any Syrian Kurdish (Kurmanji), Turkish or Aramaic teaching, either as a first or second language, although the ethno-linguistic Kurdish minority is large—forming about 10 percent of the population. The numbers of Turkmen and Assyrians is also significant.
At this point, a rough sketch of Sadik al-Azm's cultural and social background might be in place... Syrian by birth and educated in Lebanon, he is in fact of "Ottoman" and Turkish descent. His family belonged to the Ottoman ruling class in Damascus; its power dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries...The Turkish family al-Azm continued to stay in Damascus, now the capital of the new Syrian state under French mandate. A member of the family, Khalid bey al-Azm, even became prime minister.
Suat Hayri Ürgüplü. 13 Ağustos 1903 tarihinde Şam'da doğdu.
The Pan-Arabist origins of anti-Iranism were mainly constructed in Iraq especially from 1921 when King Faisal I (1885–1935) bought Satia al-Husri (1882–1968; of Syrian-Turkish descent) to Iraq...
1898 senesinde babasının memuren bulunduğu sırada Şam'da doğmuştur. Babası Eski mutasarrıflardan ve İstanbul avukatlarından Mehmet Asaf. Ailesi aslen Çorluludur. Orta ve yüksek tahsilini Almanya'da yapmıştır.
Mardam Bey... a prominent Sunni family of Turkish origin.
1- Prof. Cemil Bey (Prof. Cemil Bilsel, Reis Vekili-Devletler Umumi Hukuku, 1925–1934): 1879 yılında Suriye'nin Şam şehrinde doğan Cemil Bey,...
Born to a Syrian-Turkish father and Moroccan-Algerian mother,
Taqi al-Din b. Muhammad b. Maruf. Born in Damascus in 1525 to a family of Turkish descent,...
The Journey of a Cell was all about me exploring my Turkish ancestry.
Mustafa Tlas... Sunni (paternal grandmother of Circassian and mother of Turkish origin)
He was born in Aleppo, the capital of northern Syria, in 1935 to parents of Turkish origins. He studied in the city until he enrolled in the Military Academy, graduating as an expert in field artillery.
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