National composition of Turkey: features

A person who does not understand the issue may think that there is a whole gap between the countries under consideration. Recently, it is generally accepted that Russia and Turkey are antagonists. In fact, this is not so. Despite the numerous wars in the 18th and 19th centuries, our peoples lived in the world for the entire twentieth century, beginning with the end of the First World War.

Much seems familiar

The Russian and Turkish peoples are very similar to each other. In many respects this is due to a similar history. Turkey and Russia in the past - the empire, which in the 1920s chose the democratic path of development. Both countries are divided into regions according to the ethnocultural and linguistic sign. The national composition of Turkey, of course, is not as rich as Russia, nevertheless it includes more than thirty nationalities.

Surrounding our countries are former constituent parts - now independent states, differently related to recent compatriots. Experts also note a fairly similar political system, headed by a strong leader - the head of the largest political party. An interesting fact: Turkey was the first in the world to recognize the RSFSR and established diplomatic relations with Soviet Russia on June 2, 1920.

Peoples of Turkey

As mentioned above, Turkey is a multinational state. Speaking about him, you can refer primarily to "Tourist" - an agency that deals, among other things, with population accounting. It should also be noted that for many years (almost the entire twentieth century), the population was enrolled in the country, so many data on the number of nationalities are given with a wide range.

In total, 77 million people live in the country. And the national composition of Turkey is this:

1. The first place is expected to occupy the Turks, whose share is up to 70% of the entire population. The number is up to 65 million people.
2. Kurds. They constitute up to 14% of the total population of Turkey. They live mainly in the east of the country, in mountainous areas. There is a separate language - Kurdish. It was this people that was most strongly subjected to and opposed to the Turkification. Official Ankara preferred to call Kurds "mountain Turks". The total number of them is up to 11 million people.
3. Crimean Tatars. In Turkey, they live up to 5 million, which is 8% of the country's population. Representatives of this people moved to Turkey since the 18th century, after the Crimea joined the Russian state.
4. The Greeks. The number is up to 4 million. The Greeks have been living in Turkey since the Byzantine Empire. It is also the only one of the many peoples of Turkey, whose main religion is Christianity.
5. Zaza. Up to 2 million people. They live together with the Kurds. Zazy is the Iranian people, unlike Turks and Kurds who are Turkic-speaking. Distinguishes them and their religion. The Zaza are Shiites.

The list is the most numerous, but not all of the peoples whose main residence is Turkey. The national census population includes many other Turkic-speaking backgammon, as well as about 2 million Arabs and more than 4 million representatives of various Caucasian peoples.

Small peoples

The national minorities of Turkey include a small Jewish community of up to 20,000 people, about 50,000 Germans, 17,000 Assyrians, and others. There are also several thousands of Russians in the country, also part of the national composition of Turkey.

All European and non-Turkic peoples are concentrated in the major cities of the country. First of all - in Istanbul. Do not forget that Constantinople (the name of this city before the conquest of Byzantium by the Ottomans in 1452) is still the center of the entire Orthodox world. It is in Constantinople that the Ecumenical Council is assembled . Also in Istanbul there are temples of other Christian denominations and synagogues. The whole national composition of Turkey can freely profess its religion.

Urbanization

Feature of the described state is a huge difference between urban and rural areas of the country. By the way, this fact is also related to our countries. There is Turkey European, with the largest metropolis - Istanbul. The country has long been trying to enter the European Union precisely through the efforts of the so-called. Westerners, university intelligentsia, as well as the business elite concentrated in the capital.

And in the east and south of the country life is completely different. People there are not at all inclined to cosmopolitanism and do not accept globalization. This is a completely ordinary Muslim hinterland. The population of central Turkey is more religious, engaged mainly in agriculture. These regions are the place of compact residence of the Arab community in the south and Kurdish in the east of the country.

Tourism

Like any other eastern country, Turkey has always attracted travelers and researchers from all over the world. It is famous primarily for its numerous upscale resorts. In addition to beaches and hotels, the largest monuments of antiquity are concentrated in Turkey. Thus, Istanbul is the focus of Byzantine and Islamic architecture, whereas Cappadocia is the place of the most interesting natural formations and settlements within the caves.

The national composition of tourists in Turkey is also interesting. The first place among them is occupied by the Germans. From Germany, up to 5 million people come every year. Next comes Russia with 3.5 million tourists. Almost three million vacationers come from England.

Countries with a tourist population of one million or more are Bulgaria, the Netherlands, France, Georgia, Iran and the United States.

Russians in Turkey

As it was said above, in Turkey there live a certain number of ethnic Russians (about 50 thousand people). It's like the descendants of white emigrants, and the newcomers. Our ex-compatriots settle mainly in the big cities of Istanbul and Antalya, where a compactly residing community is formed.

Due to recent political events, Russian tourists can again visit Turkish sights and resorts. The most visited among them is the city of Antalya. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and specializes in the hotel type of recreation, as well as nightly entertainment.

Culture and customs

Any country with a large number of peoples inhabiting it inevitably forms a single, generally understood cultural environment. Turkey was no exception. Its national peculiarities consist of the customs of the peoples of the Caucasus, Central and Central Asia, the Mediterranean coast and the Middle East.

The Turks, like all Eastern peoples, do not like rushing. Responsive and good-natured. When communicating with them, it is highly recommended to show interest in the local culture, and before traveling to the country - to learn the basic phrases for communication. This will help to arrange for any interlocutor. In Turkey they like to bargain, it is known to almost all tourists who visited the country. If the buyer immediately agrees to the proposed price, it may even offend the seller.

Above all else, do not forget that this is the country of Islam. Turkey, whose ethnic composition is 95% Muslim, is very tolerant of newcomers of other cultures. However, one must always remember that a tourist or another foreigner is just a guest.