Turks living in Romania       

Their principal residential cities: Köstence, Mecidiye, Tulça, Kılıraş, Oltena, İbrail, Galats, Bucharest

Turkish groups in the region: Roumelian Turks, Tatar Turks

Turks date back to the ancient times in the geography of Romania. The ancient Turkish tribes of Oğur people (Uz), Pecenek people, Kipchaks and several Turkish tribes that followed them came from the North of the Black Sea and settled in Romania.

This region was dominated by the Altin Ordu State between the centuries of XIII-XIV and by the Ottoman Empire in the following years and lots of Turks had settled in this region during these periods. The period of the Ottoman dominion that lasted nearly for seven centuries ended with the Berlin Agreement concluded as a result of the Ottoman-Russian war in 1877-78. Romania that gained its independence was disconnected from the Ottoman Empire and thus, the Turks living in Romania were also disconnected from their homelands.

With the population of nearly 95 thousands of people, Turks live in majority in the region of Dobruca that is located between the Danube River and the Black Sea.

These communities that are the descendants of Turks that emigrated from Anatolia, the Crimean Turks (Tatars), Nogay Turks and Gagauz Turks have lived in peace together with the Romanians under goodwill relations. Turkish community has been divided into two groups as Turks and Tatars in Romania. The attempts towards the integration of these groups under a structure of a single federation have started to yield fruits and it is on the verge of the establishment on a safe and sound basis.

Minorities in Romania After Cavusesku

Romania is an important country in the Balkans with its population of 23 millions and a surface area of 237.000 km2. Pursuant to the civil action in December 1989, it still copes with the crisis in the fields of both policy and economy. Romanians who were disappointed by the Former Socialists did not lose their faiths in the democracy. They provided the liberalists to come to power in the end of the year before. Time will show us how these liberalists would satisfy the expectations of the public. Pursuant to the period of communism that lasted for half a century, Romania tries to expand towards the outer world and it endeavours for the participation in NATO against the Russian threat. The Russians stopped the withdrawal of the 14th Army in the north of the country. This situation still is on the agenda as a vital problem between the two countries.

10% of the population of Romania is composed of the minorities. The biggest minority is composed of the Hungarians with 1.620.198 people. The others can be stated respectively as Romanians (Gipsies 409.723), Germans (119.000), Russians, Ukranians, Turks, and the other small minorities such as Polish people, Czechoslovaks, Greeks, etc. Romania does not have a significant problems related with the minorities apart from the Hungarians that demand an extreme autonomy. This problem has been postponed upon an agreement (16th.09.1996) concluded between the two countries for the time being.

Romania has an advanced level in respect of the rights granted to the minorities. The role of the Hungarians in the rebellion of December 1989 cannot be neglected in the entitlement of these rights. As per the article 6 of the Romanian constitution, the national minorities were entitled with the rights to express and protect their language, religion, culture and ethnical characteristics. They are free to learn their languages and religions and provide education in their native tongues in compliance with the laws. Nevertheless, the Turkish minority cannot get the benefit of the execution of these rights that they are entitled. Before dealing with these issues, it should be proper to review the history of Dobruca Turks.

A General View of the History of Dobruca Turks

It is estimated that Dobruca has taken its name from Dobroliç, a person with Kuman roots. Dobruca is the name of a region located between the Danube River and the Black Sea. Of its lands, an area of 14.492 km2 is within the borders of Romania while an area of 7.780 km2 is within the borders of Bulgaria. According to the census in 1992, there have been 54.182 “Turks and Tatars” in Romania. Of these people, 29.533 are Roumelian Turks and the rest 24.649 people are the Tatar Turks. According to the unofficial resources, this number is determined within the range of 80 thousands and 120 thousands of people. Actually, the officials who were commissioned in the census stated that they could not go to the families that were married to Romanians. There are thousands of families whose parents are Romanians among Turks.

Furthermore, Turkish minority can also be observed in the cities such as Kılıraş (Calaraşi), Oltena (Oltenita), İbrail (Braila), Galats, Bucharest, etc. 85% of the Turks live in Köstence and the 12% of Turks live in Tulça. Most of the Turkish minority in Romania is composed of Roumelian Turks and Tatars; but Gagavuz people who are the Orthodox Turks can also be frequented in this country.

Today’s Turkism of Dobruca has a historical past that dates back to the ancient times. Due to the fact that Dobruca is a plain, fertile and a watery place, the region of Dobruca has been a centre of population for several Turkish tribes during the history. It has become nearly a Turkish homeland under the Ottoman domination that lasted for almost four and a half centuries. Several archeological and historical works pertaining to the Ottoman period and the periods before Ottomans and the names of various places are still kept as they are (although hundreds of them were changed until the World War II).

Unitl the 13th century, Turks coming from the both and the Middle East attacked to the region of Karpat-Danube. The first community that has been observed in this region is composed of Iskits (Sciti people) that were accpeted as the proto-Turks in the years of 1000 BC. These people got into contact with Trak people who are considered as the ancestors of Romanians and they established dominion within the environs of Mangalya (this island was inherited from Iskits) and some of the Romanian tribes were subjected to their dominion.

Iskits were followed by the Western Hun Turks in the years of 375 BC (80 years); Avar Turks that came from the Middle East (Dest-i Kipchak) and advanced towards besieging of Istanbul (until the century VII); and Bulgarian Turks in the Gregorian century III.

It is accepted that the Romanian nation had been formed in the region of Karpat-Danube in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Romanians were overrun by Pecenek Turks towards the end of the 9th century. Pecenek Turks who had established dominion in the Byzantine besieged Istanbul for the second time after the blockade of Avar people, but they could not conquer it. These Turks were composed of thirteen tribes and one of these tribes was Oguz (Uz) that was the essential element of Gagavuz Turks of today. Some names of places pertaining to Pecenek and Oguz /Uz Turks are observed in Brail and Tulça.

Pecenek people were defeated by the Kuman Turks in the middle of the century XI (1057). Kuman people had dominated this region for a period of two centuries and then, they converted into Catholicity.

     Pecenek and Oguz/Uz Turks had constituted the most significant division of the Byzantine Army in the course of Malazgirt Battle in the year of 1071. When they perceived that the enemy were of the same kind speaking with their language, they changed the line of battle and jonied them. It is a well-known historical fact that they changed the fate of the battle upon this action.

to be contunied        

Next