Circassians in Turkey

Circassians in Turkey
Тыркуем ис Адыгэхэр; Türkiye Çerkesleri
	Circassians marching to commemorate the Circassian genocide in Taksim Square, Istanbul
Total population
	Estimated 2,000,000–3,000,000
Regions with significant populations
	Marmara Region; Central Anatolia Region; Black Sea Region; in: Kayseri; Kırklareli; Eskişehir; Samsun; Sinop; Çanakkale; Kahramanmaraş; Tokat; Afyonkarahisar; Balıkesir; Sakarya; Bolu; Aydın; Bursa; Bilecik; Sivas; Amasya; Çorum; Istanbul Ankara and others;
Languages
	East Circassian; West Circassian; Turkish; Arabic (in Antakya and Reyhanlı)
Religion
	Majority:; Sunni Islam; Minority:; Circassian native faith Khabzeism • Atheism-Agnosticism
Related ethnic groups
	Abazins, Abkhazians, Chechens

Circassians in Turkey^[a] refers to people born in or residing in Turkey that are of Circassian origin. The Circassians are one of the largest ethnic minorities in Turkey, with a population estimated to be two million, or according to the EU reports, three.^[8]

Circassians are a Caucasian people, and although the Circassians in Turkey were assimilated to some degree, a portion of the diaspora still speaks their native Circassian languages as it is still spoken in many Circassian villages, and the group that preserved their language the best are the Kabardians.^[9] With the rise of Circassian nationalism in the 21st century, Circassians in Turkey, especially the young, have started to study and learn their language. The Circassians in Turkey mostly identify as Muslim. The largest association of Circassians in Turkey,^[10] KAFFED, was the founding member of the International Circassian Association (ICA),^[11] until it left in 2022 due to "ICA acting as a Russian puppet organisation".^[12]

The closely related ethnic groups Abazins (10,000^[13]) and Abkhazians (39,000^[14]) are also often counted among them. The term "Circassian" was formerly used in the Ottoman Empire in the late 1800s to refer to all North Caucasians.

^ Circassia, Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, archived from the original on 2010-11-29.
^ Ülkü Bilgin: Azınlık hakları ve Türkiye. Kitap Yayınevi, Istanbul 2007; p. 85. ISBN 975-6051-80-9 (Turkish Language)
^ Richmond, Walter (2013). The Circassian Genocide. Rutgers University Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0813560694.
^ Danver, Steven L. (2015). Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. p. 528. ISBN 978-1317464006.
^ Zhemukhov, Sufian (2008). "Circassian World Responses to the New Challenges" (PDF). PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 54: 2. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
^ 2012 Survey Maps Archived 2017-03-20 at the Wayback Machine. "Ogonek". No 34 (5243), 27 August 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
^ Svetlana Lyagusheva (2005). "Islam and the Traditional Moral Code of Adyghes". Iran and the Caucasus. 9 (1): 29–35. doi:10.1163/1573384054068123. JSTOR 4030903. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
^ Bernard Lewis (1961). "The Emergence of Modern Turkey". The Geographical Journal. 127 (4): 94. Bibcode:1961GeogJ.127..509B. doi:10.2307/1792817. JSTOR 1792817.
^ Papşu, Murat (2003). Çerkes dillerine genel bir bakış Kafkasya ve Türkiye Archived 10 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Nart Dergisi, Mart-Nisan 2003, Sayı:35
^ Адыгэхэм я щыгъуэ-щIэж махуэм къызэрагъэпэща пэкIур Тыркум гулъытэншэу къыщагъэнакъым Archived 2013-04-17 at archive.today. 2012-06-09 (Çerkesçe)
^ "Kafkas Dernekleri Federasyonu İlkeleri". Archived from the original on 15 March 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
^ "Ülkü Menşure Solak - DÇB'nin hayaleti". dikgazete.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-10-25.
^ "Ethnologue: Abasinen". Ethnologue. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
^ "Ethnologue: Abchasen". Ethnologue. Retrieved 20 November 2014.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[UNPO-1] Circassia, Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, archived from the original on 2010-11-29.

[2] Ülkü Bilgin: Azınlık hakları ve Türkiye. Kitap Yayınevi, Istanbul 2007; p. 85. ISBN 975-6051-80-9 (Turkish Language)

[The_Circassian_Genocide-3] Richmond, Walter (2013). The Circassian Genocide. Rutgers University Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0813560694.

[4] Danver, Steven L. (2015). Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. p. 528. ISBN 978-1317464006.

[5] Zhemukhov, Sufian (2008). "Circassian World Responses to the New Challenges" (PDF). PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 54: 2. Retrieved 8 May 2016.

[2012maps-6] 2012 Survey Maps Archived 2017-03-20 at the Wayback Machine. "Ogonek". No 34 (5243), 27 August 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.

[Lyugasheva-7] Svetlana Lyagusheva (2005). "Islam and the Traditional Moral Code of Adyghes". Iran and the Caucasus. 9 (1): 29–35. doi:10.1163/1573384054068123. JSTOR 4030903. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)

[9] Bernard Lewis (1961). "The Emergence of Modern Turkey". The Geographical Journal. 127 (4): 94. Bibcode:1961GeogJ.127..509B. doi:10.2307/1792817. JSTOR 1792817.

[refMuratpapşuçerkesdilleri-10] Papşu, Murat (2003). Çerkes dillerine genel bir bakış Kafkasya ve Türkiye Archived 10 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Nart Dergisi, Mart-Nisan 2003, Sayı:35

[11] Адыгэхэм я щыгъуэ-щIэж махуэм къызэрагъэпэща пэкIур Тыркум гулъытэншэу къыщагъэнакъым Archived 2013-04-17 at archive.today. 2012-06-09 (Çerkesçe)

[12] "Kafkas Dernekleri Federasyonu İlkeleri". Archived from the original on 15 March 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

[13] "Ülkü Menşure Solak - DÇB'nin hayaleti". dikgazete.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-10-25.

[14] "Ethnologue: Abasinen". Ethnologue. Retrieved 20 November 2014.

[15] "Ethnologue: Abchasen". Ethnologue. Retrieved 20 November 2014.

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Тыркуем ис Адыгэхэр Türkiye Çerkesleri
Circassians marching to commemorate the Circassian genocide in Taksim Square, Istanbul
Total population
Estimated 2,000,000^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]–3,000,000^[5]
Regions with significant populations
Marmara Region Central Anatolia Region Black Sea Region in: Kayseri Kırklareli Eskişehir Samsun Sinop Çanakkale Kahramanmaraş Tokat Afyonkarahisar Balıkesir Sakarya Bolu Aydın Bursa Bilecik Sivas Amasya Çorum Istanbul Ankara and others
Languages
East Circassian West Circassian Turkish Arabic (in Antakya and Reyhanlı)
Religion
Majority: Sunni Islam Minority: Circassian native faith Khabzeism^[6] • Atheism-Agnosticism^[7]
Related ethnic groups
Abazins, Abkhazians, Chechens