Romani people in Turkey

Common card · No. 447111

The Romani people in Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye'deki Romanlar) are a Romani subgroup in the Republic of Türkiye. The majority are Sunni Muslims, mostly of Sufi orientation. The majority speak Turkish as their first language and have adopted Turkish culture. Many have denied their Romani background over the centuries in order to become more accepted by the host population. They are primarily concentrated in western Turkey, particularly in East Thrace (European Turkey). Their official name in Turkey has been Romanlar since 1996. They are also called Şopar ("Gypsy kid") in Rumelian Romani dialect, and Manuş ("Human") or Çingene ("Gypsy") in Turkish, while once in Ottoman Turkish they were named Cingân ("Gypsy"), Kıptî ("Copts") and Mısırlı ("Egyptians"). As Gastarbeiter some Turkish Roma came to Germany and Austria and other European countries and fully assimilated in Turkish European communities. There are an estimated 500,000–2,000,000 Romani people in Turkey.

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