Home Discussion Topics Dictionary Almanac

Signup Login

Turks in the Republic of Macedonia

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Turks in the Republic of Macedonia'

Start a new discussion about 'Turks in the Republic of Macedonia'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

Turks in the Republic of Macedonia, also known as Macedonian Turks, are the ethnic Turks who constitute the third largest ethnic group in the Republic of Macedonia

Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...

. According to the 2002 census, there were 77,959 Turks living in the country, forming a minority of some 4% of the population. The communitiy form a majority in Centar Župa

Centar Župa municipality

Centar Župa is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Centar Župa is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...

and Plasnica

Plasnica municipality

Plasnica is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Plasnica is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Plasnica Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region...

. The Turkish community claim higher numbers than the census shows, somewhere between 170,000 and 200,000.

Ottoman era

Macedonia came under the rule of the Ottoman Turks

Ottoman Turks

The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...

in 1392, remaining part of the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

for more than 500 years up to 1912 and the Balkan wars

Balkan Wars

The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...

Modern era

Once the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

fell at the beginning of the 20th century, many of the Turks fled to Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. Many left under Yugoslav

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

rule, and more left after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Others intermarried or simply identified themselves as Macedonians

Macedonians (ethnic group)

The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...

or Albanians

Albanians

Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...

to avoid stigma

Social stigma

Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...

and persecution

Persecution

Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...

Census	Turks	Total population of Macedonia	% Turks
Population of Macedonian Turks according to National Censuses
1953 Census	203,938	1,304,514	15.63%
1961 Census	131,484	1,406,003	9.35%
1971 Census	108,552	1,647,308	6.58%
1981 Census	86,591	1,909,136	4.53%
1991 Census	77,080	2,033,964	3.78%
1994 Census	78,019	1,945,932	4%
2002 Census	77,959	2,022,547	3.85%

After 1953, a large emigration of Turks based on an agreement between the Republic of Turkey and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...

took place— around 80,000 according to Yugoslav data and over 150,000 according to Turkish sources.

Culture

Language

Macedonian Turks speak the Turkish language

Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

. According to Ethnologue

Ethnologue

Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...

, Turkish is spoken by 200,000 people in Macedonia. Turkish is spoken with Slavic

Slavic languages

The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...

and Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

admixtures creating a unique Macedonian Turkish dialect. However, Macedonian

Macedonian language

Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...

is also widely used amongst the community.

Religion

According to the 2002 census, Turks make up 12% of the total Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

population in Macedonia.

Demographics

Turkish population in Macedonia according to the 2002 census (Turkish majority in bold):

Municipality	Turks 2002 Census
Skopje	8,595
Gostivar Gostivar municipality Gostivar is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Gostivar is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Gostivar Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...	7,991
Centar Župa Centar Župa municipality Centar Župa is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Centar Župa is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...	5,226
Plasnica Plasnica municipality Plasnica is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Plasnica is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Plasnica Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region...	4,446
Radoviš Radoviš municipality Radoviš Municipality is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Radoviš is the name of the city where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Southeastern Statistical Region.-History:...	4,061
Strumica Strumica municipality Strumica is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Strumica is also the name of the city where the municipal seat is found. Strumica Municipality is part of the Southeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	3,754
Struga Struga municipality Struga is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Struga is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Struga Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	3,628
Studeničani Studenicani municipality Studeničani is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Studeničani is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...	3,285
Vrapčište Vrapcište municipality Vrapčište is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Vrapčište is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...	3,134
Debar Debar municipality Debar is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Debar is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Debar Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	2,684
Mavrovo and Rostuša Mavrovo and Rostuša municipality Mavrovo and Rostuša is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. The municipal seat is located in the village of Rostuša. This municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...	2,680
Dolneni Dolneni municipality Dolneni is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Dolneni is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. The municipality is part of the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-Geography:...	2,597
Kičevo Kicevo municipality Kičevo is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Kičevo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Kičevo Municipality is located in the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	2,430
Ohrid Ohrid municipality The Municipality of Ohrid is a municipality in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. Ohrid is also the name of the city where the municipal seat is found...	2,268
Vasilevo Vasilevo municipality Vasilevo is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Vasilevo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Vasilevo Municipality is part of the Southeastern Statistical Region.-Demographics:...	2,095
Tetovo Tetovo municipality Tetovo is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Tetovo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Tetovo Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...	1,882
Resen Resen municipality Resen is a municipality in southwestern Republic of Macedonia. Resen is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Resen Municipality is located in the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-Geography:...	1,797
Veles Veles municipality Veles is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Veles is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Veles Municipality is part of the Vardar Statistical Region.-Geography:...	1,724
Bitola Bitola municipality Bitola is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Bitola is also the name of the city where the municipal seat is found. The municipality is located in the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-Geography:...	1,610
Valandovo Valandovo municipality Valandovo is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Valandovo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Valandovo Municipality is part of Southeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	1,333
Štip Štip municipality Štip is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Štip is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:Štip Municipality covers an area of 583.24 km²...	1,272
Bogovinje Bogovinje municipality Bogovinje is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Bogovinje is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Bogovinje Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...	1,183
Prilep Prilep municipality Prilep is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Prilep is also the name of the city where the municipal seat is found. It is located in the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-Geography:...	917
Karbinci Karbinci municipality Karbinci is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Karbinci is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Karbinci Municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	728
Konče Konce municipality Konče is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Konče is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Southeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	521
Tearce Tearce municipality Tearce is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Tearce is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Tearce Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...	516
Bosilovo Bosilovo municipality Bosilovo is a municipality in southeastern Republic of Macedonia. Bosilovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...	495
Dojran Dojran municipality Dojran is a municipality in southeastern Republic of Macedonia. Nov Dojran is the village where the municipal seat is found. Dojran Municipality is part of the Southeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	402
Čaška Caška municipality Čaška is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Čaška is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Vardar Statistical Region.-Geography:...	391
Pehčevo Pehcevo municipality Pehčevo is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Pehčevo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Basic information:...	357
Demir Kapija Demir Kapija municipality Demir Kapija is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Demir Kapija, which means "iron door" or "iron gate" in Turkish, is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found...	344
Kočani Kocani municipality Kočani is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Kočani is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. The municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	315
Kruševo Kruševo municipality Kruševo is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Kruševo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-Geography:...	315
Drugovo Drugovo municipality Drugovo is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Drugovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Drugovo Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	292
Kumanovo Kumanovo municipality Kumanovo is a municipality in northern Republic of Macedonia. Kumanovo is also the name of the city where the municipal seat is found. Kumanovo Municipality is part of the Northeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	292
Vraneštica Vraneštica municipality Vraneštica is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Vraneštica is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of Southwestern Statistical Region.-Demographics:...	276
Vinica Vinica municipality Vinica is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Vinica is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Vinica Municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	272
Negotino Negotino municipality Negotino is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Negotino is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Negotino Municipality is part of Vardar Statistical Region.-Geography:...	243
Sopište Sopište municipality Sopište is a municipality in northern Republic of Macedonia. Sopište is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. It is located in the Skopje Statistical Region.-Geography:...	243
Mogila Mogila municipality Mogila is a municipality in south-central Republic of Macedonia. Mogila is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Mogila Municipality is part of the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-Geography:...	229
Makedonski Brod Makedonski Brod municipality Makedonski Brod is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia, named after the town of Makedonski Brod, where the municipal seat is located...	181
Kavadarci Kavadarci municipality Kavadarci is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Kavadarci is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Kavadarci Municipality is part of the Vardar Statistical Region.-Geography:...	167
Lozovo Lozovo municipality Lozovo is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Lozovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Lozovo Municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	157
Delčevo Delcevo municipality Delčevo is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Delčevo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Delčevo Municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.- Geography :...	122
Berovo Berovo municipality Berovo is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Berovo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Berovo Municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	91
Sveti Nikole Sveti Nikole municipality Sveti Nikole is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Sveti Nikole is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found...	81
Petrovec Petrovec municipality The Municipality of Petrovec is a municipality in northern Republic of Macedonia, near the capital Skopje. Petrovec is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...	75
Gradsko Gradsko municipality Gradsko is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Gradsko is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Gradsko Municipality is part of the Vardar Statistical Region.-Geography:...	71
Bogdanci Bogdanci municipality Bogdanci is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Bogdanci is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Bogdanci Municipality is part of Southeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	54
Demir Hisar Demir Hisar municipality Demir Hisar is a municipality in southwestern Republic of Macedonia. Demir Hisar, which means "iron fortress" in Turkish, is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found...	35
Gevgelija Gevgelija municipality Gevgelija is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Gevgelija is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found...	31
Novaci Novaci municipality Novaci is a municipality in southern Republic of Macedonia. Novaci is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Novaci Municipality is a part of the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-History:...	27
Ilinden Ilinden municipality Ilinden is a municipality in northern Republic of Macedonia. Ilinden is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. It is named after the Ilinden Uprising in the region of Macedonia in 1903...	17
Kratovo Kratovo municipality Kratovo is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Kratovo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Kratovo Municipality is part of the Northeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	8
Probištip Probištip municipality Probištip is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Probištip is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	6
Jegunovce Jegunovce municipality Jegunovce is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Jegunovce is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...	4
Brvenica Brvenica municipality Brvenica is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Brvenica is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...	2
Debarca Debarca municipality Debarca is a municipality in southwestern Republic of Macedonia. The village of Belčišta is the municipal seat. Debarca Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...	2
Kriva Palanka Kriva Palanka municipality Kriva Palanka is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Kriva Palanka is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found...	2
Želino Želino municipality Želino is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Želino is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...	2
Zelenikovo Zelenikovo municipality Zelenikovo is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Zelenikovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...	1

National day

The Turks in Macedonia also have an own national day, the Day of Education in Turkish Language. By a decision of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia in 2007, December 21 became a national and non-working day for the Turkish community in the country.

Media

There are both radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

and television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

broadcasts in Turkish. Since 1945, Macedonian Radio-Television

Macedonian Radio-Television

Macedonian Radio Television is the public broadcasting organization of the Republic of Macedonia. It was founded in 1993 by the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia...

transmits one hour daily Turkish television programs and four and a half hours of Turkish radio programs. Furthermore, the newspaper 'Birlik' is published in Turkish three times a week.

Politics

A political party, Democratic Party of Turks

Democratic Party of Turks

The Democratic Party of Turks is a political party of the Turkish minority in the Republic of Macedonia.The Party currently has one member, Kenan Hasipi, in the Macedonian parliament.-External links:*...

(DPT), was founded in 1990 and is still active today. The Party currently has one member, Kenan Hasipi, in the Macedonian parliament. The DPT espouses the principles of Ataturk which include a secular state

Secular state

A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential...

and equality

Egalitarianism

Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...

for all.

Education

The first school in Turkish language in Macedonia was opened in 1944.
As of 2008 there were over 60 schools that offered lessons in Turkish. Turks have the right of education in Turkish for four years in East Macedonia. There are 264 teachers in these schools. There is a lycee in Gostivar and a technical college in Tetovo where students are trained in Turkish. Few quota is spared for Turkish students at universities in Skopje

Skopje

Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...

and Bitola

Bitola

Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...

. There are also private Turkish schools established by Turkish entrepreneurs. Macedonian Turks show great interest in these schools.