Turks of the Dodecanese
Encyclopedia
The Turks of the Dodecanese form a 5,000-strong community of ethnic Turks
inhabiting the Dodecanese
islands of Rhodes
and Kos
(İstanköy in Turkish
) who were not affected by the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey
since the islands were under the rule of the Kingdom of Italy
at the time (from 1912) and who became Greek
citizens after 1947 when the islands became part of Greece.
The Turks in Kos are organized around Turkish Muslim Association of Kos ("İstanköy Türk Müslüman Derneği") which gives the figure 2,000 for the population they bring together and represent for their island.
Those in Rhodes are organized around the Turkish Association of Rhodes (Rodos Türk Derneği), which gives the figure 3,500 for the population they bring together and represent for their island.
The Turkish terms used for the members of the community can vary depending on different specifications, such as "Oniki Ada Türkleri" for the exact equivalent of the term "Turks of the Dodecanese", or either "Rodos Türkleri" or "İstanköy Türkleri" depending on whether they are from Rhodes or Kos, or "Giritli" (Cretans in Turkish) since some had emigrated to the Dodecanese in the process of the adhesion of Crete
to Greece or due to cultural similarities with Cretan Turks
, or "Adalı" to denote the general meaning of "Islanders".
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
inhabiting the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
islands of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
and Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
(İstanköy in Turkish
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,...
) who were not affected by the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey was based upon religious identity, and involved the Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of Greece...
since the islands were under the rule of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
at the time (from 1912) and who became Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
citizens after 1947 when the islands became part of Greece.
The Turks in Kos are organized around Turkish Muslim Association of Kos ("İstanköy Türk Müslüman Derneği") which gives the figure 2,000 for the population they bring together and represent for their island.
Those in Rhodes are organized around the Turkish Association of Rhodes (Rodos Türk Derneği), which gives the figure 3,500 for the population they bring together and represent for their island.
The Turkish terms used for the members of the community can vary depending on different specifications, such as "Oniki Ada Türkleri" for the exact equivalent of the term "Turks of the Dodecanese", or either "Rodos Türkleri" or "İstanköy Türkleri" depending on whether they are from Rhodes or Kos, or "Giritli" (Cretans in Turkish) since some had emigrated to the Dodecanese in the process of the adhesion of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
to Greece or due to cultural similarities with Cretan Turks
Cretan Turks
The Cretan Turks, Turco-Cretans , or Cretan Muslims were the Muslim inhabitants of Crete and now their descendants, who settled principally in Turkey, the Levant, and Egypt as well as in the larger Turkish diaspora.After the Ottoman conquest of Crete...
, or "Adalı" to denote the general meaning of "Islanders".
See also
- Minorities in GreeceMinorities in GreeceIndigenous minorities in Greece are small in size compared to regional standards. The country is largely ethnically homogeneous. This is mainly due to the population exchanges between Greece and neighboring Turkey and Bulgaria , which removed most Muslims and those Christian Slavs who did not...
- Turks of Western ThraceTurks of Western ThraceTurks of Western Thrace are ethnic Turks who live in Western Thrace, in the north-eastern part of Greece.According to the Greek census of 1991, there were approximately 50,000 Turks in Western Thrace, out of the approximately 98,000 strong Muslim minority of Greece...
- Cretan TurksCretan TurksThe Cretan Turks, Turco-Cretans , or Cretan Muslims were the Muslim inhabitants of Crete and now their descendants, who settled principally in Turkey, the Levant, and Egypt as well as in the larger Turkish diaspora.After the Ottoman conquest of Crete...
- Muslim minority of GreeceMuslim minority of GreeceThe Muslim minority of Greece is the only explicitly recognized minority in Greece. It numbers 97,604 people or 0.91% of the total population, according to the 1991 census , and 140,000 people or 1.24% of the total population, according to the United States Department of State.The Muslim minority...