Turkish-Australian
Encyclopedia
Turkish Australians or Australian Turks are Turkish people
who have immigrated to Australia
. However, the term may also refer to Australian-born persons who have Turkish parents or who have a Turkish ancestral background.
Turks first began to emigrate to Australia from the island of Cyprus
for work in the 1940s, and then again when Turkish Cypriots
were forced to leave their homes during the Cyprus conflict between 1963 and 1974. Furthermore, a large scale of Turkish immigrants began to arrive in Australia once a bilateral agreement was signed between Turkey
and Australia
in 1967. Recently, smaller groups of Turks have begun to immigrate to Australia from Bulgaria
, Greece
, and the Republic of Macedonia
.
A notable scale of Turkish Cypriot migration to Australia
began in the late 1940s; they were the only Muslims acceptable under the White Australia Policy
. Prior to 1940, the Australian Census recorded only three settlers from Cyprus
that spoke Turkish
as their primary language. A further 66 Turkish Cypriots arrived in Australia in the late 1940s, marking the beginning of a Turkish Cypriot immigration trend to Australia. By 1947-1956 there were 350 Turkish Cypriot settlers who were living in Australia.
Between 1955-1960, the island of Cyprus' independence was approaching; however, Turkish Cypriots felt vulnerable as they had cause for concern about the political future of the island when the Greek Cypriots
attempted to overthrow the British government and unite Cyprus with Greece
(known as "enosis
"). After a failed attempt by the Greek Cypriots, the right-wing party, EOKA
, reformed itself from 1963–1974 and launched a series of attacks in a bid to proclaim "enosis". These atrocities resulted in the exodus of Turkish Cypriots in fear for their lives, many migrating to Australia and Britain. Early Turkish Cypriot immigrants found jobs working in factories, out in the fields, or building national infrastructure. However, some Turkish Cypriots became entrepreneurs and established their own businesses once they had saved enough money.
Once the Greek military junta rose to power in 1967, they staged a coup d'état
in 1974 against the Cypriot President, with the help of EOKA B
, to unite the island of Cyprus with Greece. Thus, there was an exodus
of more Turkish Cypriots to Australia due to fears that the island would unite with Greece. The Greek coup led to a military offensive by Turkey
who divided the island
. In 1983 the Turkish Cypriots declared their own state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC), which has remained internationally unrecognised except by Turkey. The division has led to an economic embargo against the Turkish Cypriots by the Greek Cypriot controlled Government of Cyprus, effectively depriving the Turkish Cypriots of foreign investment, aid and export markets. Thus, the Turkish Cypriot economy
has remained stagnant and undeveloped; Turkish Cypriots have continuted to leave the island in search of a better life in Britain
, Australia
, and Canada
.
and Turkey
signed an agreement to allow Turkish citizens to immigrate to Australia. Prior to this recruitment agreement, there were
less than 3,000 people of Turkish origin in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics
, nearly 19,000 Turkish immigrants arrived from 1968-1974. The first Turkish immigrants were greeted at Sydney International Airport by Turkish Cypriots
, whilst Turkish immigrants who moved to Melbourne
were greeted at Essendon Airport
by members of the Cyprus Turkish Association. They came largely from rural
areas of Turkey; at the time, approximately 30% were skilled and 70% were unskilled workers. However, this changed in the 1980s when the number of skilled Turks applying to enter Australia had increased considerably. Over the next 35 years the Turkish population rose to almost 100,000. More than half of the Turkish community settled in Victoria
, mostly in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne
.
, the Western Thrace
area of northern Greece
, the Republic of Macedonia
, as well as Germany
and other Western European countries.
ancestry. However, the census would not have counted Turkish Australians who did not state their ethnicity. Recent estimates suggests that there are 150,000 Turkish Australians and between 40,000-60,000 Turkish Cypriot Australians.
, have stated that there are now 150,000 Australians of Turkish origin.
, the Western Thrace
area of northern Greece
, the Republic of Macedonia
, as well as some who had migrated via Germany
and other Western European countries.
and Victoria
, especially in the cities of Melbourne
and Sydney
. In Melbourne they reside largely in the suburbs of Broadmeadows
, Collingwood
, Brunswick
, Coburg
, Fitzroy
, Richmond
, Springvale
and Dandenong
. In Sydney
, they are concentrated in Auburn
, Botany
, Fairfield
, Marrickville
, Blacktown
and Ashfield
.
and a "moderate" Islam
are symbolic markers of the Turkish Australian culture. More generally, notions of family loyalty, the social organisation of marriage and traditional segregation of gender roles have shaped the youths’ identities in Australia.
are considered to be the first immigrants in Australia who formed a large Muslim
community, followed by immigrants from Turkey
and then Lebanon
. According to the 2006 Australian census, 18% of Australian Muslims are of Turkish
origin. Turkish Australian Muslims practice a "moderate Islam" and are significantly secularised; Turkish Cypriots in particular are not so religious and are brought up as Kemalists and are strongly secular
.
The Turkish Australian community favours religious sermons in the Turkish language
(rather than in Arabic) and attends Friday prayers in Turkish mosques. There are numerous notable Turkish mosques in Australia; in 1992, the Cyprus Turkish Islamic Society constructed an Ottoman-style mosque, known as the Sunshine Mosque
, which was designed to mirror the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
in Istanbul
. Another important Turkish mosque is the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque
, which attracts about 800 worshippers every week and is listed as an Australian heritage building.
is well maintained in Australia and is seen as very important for the self-identification of Turkish Australians. There are numerous Turkish private schools, including Özel College and Kuzey College, that cater for Turkish Australian students.
and Melbourne
SBS Radio
broadcasts in the Turkish language
for an hour a day. Other community stations also broadcast in Turkish, though with less hours of content. For example, 3ZZZ
currently produces five hours of Turkish programming spread over four days each week.
services are available in Australia. The Australian satellite service provider UBI World TV
claims to reach 40,000 Turkish speakers. Furthermore, BRT
, the official radio and television broadcasting corporation of Northern Cyprus, claims to reach 60,000 Turkish Cypriot Australians.
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...
who have immigrated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. However, the term may also refer to Australian-born persons who have Turkish parents or who have a Turkish ancestral background.
Turks first began to emigrate to Australia from the island of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
for work in the 1940s, and then again when Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
were forced to leave their homes during the Cyprus conflict between 1963 and 1974. Furthermore, a large scale of Turkish immigrants began to arrive in Australia once a bilateral agreement was signed between 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...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1967. Recently, smaller groups of Turks have begun to immigrate to Australia from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and 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...
.
Ottoman migration
The presence of Turkish people in Australia dates back to the early 19th century, although at the time there were only about 20 Turkish settlers. Their number increased to 300 by the 1911 census. Their number declined during the First World War when Australia and Turkey fought on opposite sides.Turkish Cypriot migration
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
began in the late 1940s; they were the only Muslims acceptable under the White Australia Policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
. Prior to 1940, the Australian Census recorded only three settlers from Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
that spoke 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,...
as their primary language. A further 66 Turkish Cypriots arrived in Australia in the late 1940s, marking the beginning of a Turkish Cypriot immigration trend to Australia. By 1947-1956 there were 350 Turkish Cypriot settlers who were living in Australia.
Between 1955-1960, the island of Cyprus' independence was approaching; however, Turkish Cypriots felt vulnerable as they had cause for concern about the political future of the island when the Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
attempted to overthrow the British government and unite Cyprus with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(known as "enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
"). After a failed attempt by the Greek Cypriots, the right-wing party, EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
, reformed itself from 1963–1974 and launched a series of attacks in a bid to proclaim "enosis". These atrocities resulted in the exodus of Turkish Cypriots in fear for their lives, many migrating to Australia and Britain. Early Turkish Cypriot immigrants found jobs working in factories, out in the fields, or building national infrastructure. However, some Turkish Cypriots became entrepreneurs and established their own businesses once they had saved enough money.
Once the Greek military junta rose to power in 1967, they staged a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 1974 against the Cypriot President, with the help of EOKA B
EOKA B
EOKA-B was a Greek Cypriot paramilitary organisation formed in 1971. It followed a right-wing nationalistic ideology and had the ultimate goal of achieving the enosis of Cyprus with Greece...
, to unite the island of Cyprus with Greece. Thus, there was an exodus
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
of more Turkish Cypriots to Australia due to fears that the island would unite with Greece. The Greek coup led to a military offensive by 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...
who divided the island
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
. In 1983 the Turkish Cypriots declared their own state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus...
(TRNC), which has remained internationally unrecognised except by Turkey. The division has led to an economic embargo against the Turkish Cypriots by the Greek Cypriot controlled Government of Cyprus, effectively depriving the Turkish Cypriots of foreign investment, aid and export markets. Thus, the Turkish Cypriot economy
Economy of Northern Cyprus
The economy of Northern Cyprus is dominated by the services sector , which includes the public sector, trade, tourism and education. Industry contributes 22% of GDP and agriculture 9%. The economy operates on a free-market basis, with a significant portion of administration costs funded by Turkey...
has remained stagnant and undeveloped; Turkish Cypriots have continuted to leave the island in search of a better life in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Mainland Turkish migration
On 5 October 1967, the governments of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and 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...
signed an agreement to allow Turkish citizens to immigrate to Australia. Prior to this recruitment agreement, there were
less than 3,000 people of Turkish origin in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
, nearly 19,000 Turkish immigrants arrived from 1968-1974. The first Turkish immigrants were greeted at Sydney International Airport by Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
, whilst Turkish immigrants who moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
were greeted at Essendon Airport
Essendon Airport
Essendon Airport is located at Essendon, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, Victoria, Australia. It is located next to the Tullamarine Freeway on , from the Melbourne Central Business District and from Melbourne Airport.-History:...
by members of the Cyprus Turkish Association. They came largely from rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas of Turkey; at the time, approximately 30% were skilled and 70% were unskilled workers. However, this changed in the 1980s when the number of skilled Turks applying to enter Australia had increased considerably. Over the next 35 years the Turkish population rose to almost 100,000. More than half of the Turkish community settled in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, mostly in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Migration from other countries
There are also ethnic Turks who have immigrated to Australia from BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, the Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
area of northern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, 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...
, as well as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and other Western European countries.
Population
According to the 2006 Australian Census there was 59,402 people in Australia who claimed to be of TurkishTurkish 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...
ancestry. However, the census would not have counted Turkish Australians who did not state their ethnicity. Recent estimates suggests that there are 150,000 Turkish Australians and between 40,000-60,000 Turkish Cypriot Australians.
| Number of ethnic Turks in Australia according to the 2006 Australian Census | ||
| Country of birth | ethnic Turks | 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,... spoken at home |
|---|---|---|
 Turkey |
24,770 | 24,852 |
 Cyprus |
3,290 | 3,345 |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
270 | 263 |
 Greece |
N/A | 313 |
 Republic of Macedonia |
N/A | 125 |
| Including ancestry | 59,402 | 53,866 |
Turkish Cypriot population
A 2007 academic estimate suggested that there was 25,000 Australian Turkish Cypriots. However, the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims to represent 40,000 Turkish Cypriots living in Australia whilst the Turkish Cypriot newspaper "Kibris Gazetesi" claims that there are 60,000 living in Australia.Mainland Turkish population
Academic estimates have suggested that in 1999 there was over 75,000 Turkish Australians whilst a 2011 academic estimate placed the number at almost 100,000. The Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...
, have stated that there are now 150,000 Australians of Turkish origin.
Other Turkish populations
There are smaller populations of Turkish ancestry who have immigrated to Australia from BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, the Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
area of northern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, 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...
, as well as some who had migrated via Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and other Western European countries.
Settlement
Turkish Australians mainly live in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, especially in the cities of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. In Melbourne they reside largely in the suburbs of Broadmeadows
Broadmeadows, Victoria
Broadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
, Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Brunswick
Brunswick, Victoria
Brunswick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
, Coburg
Coburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
, Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
, Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Springvale
Springvale, Victoria
Springvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, approximately 20 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Greater Dandenong...
and Dandenong
Dandenong, Victoria
Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Situated on Dandenong Creek and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of...
. In Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, they are concentrated in Auburn
Auburn, New South Wales
Auburn is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Auburn is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Auburn Council.-History:...
, Botany
Botany, New South Wales
Botany is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Botany is located 10 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the City of Botany Bay....
, Fairfield
Fairfield, New South Wales
Fairfield is a western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Fairfield is located 29 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is also partly in the local government...
, Marrickville
Marrickville, New South Wales
Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney's Inner West is located 7 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia and is the largest suburb in the Marrickville Council local government area...
, Blacktown
Blacktown, New South Wales
Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...
and Ashfield
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
.
Culture
Community bonds remain strong in the Turkish Australian community. They are geographically concentrated in particular areas of Australia which has led to the maintenance of certain cultural traditions across generations. The Turkish languageTurkish 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,...
and a "moderate" Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
are symbolic markers of the Turkish Australian culture. More generally, notions of family loyalty, the social organisation of marriage and traditional segregation of gender roles have shaped the youths’ identities in Australia.
Religion
Turkish CypriotsTurkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
are considered to be the first immigrants in Australia who formed a large 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...
community, followed by immigrants from 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...
and then Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. According to the 2006 Australian census, 18% of Australian Muslims are of Turkish
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...
origin. Turkish Australian Muslims practice a "moderate Islam" and are significantly secularised; Turkish Cypriots in particular are not so religious and are brought up as Kemalists and are strongly secular
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
.
The Turkish Australian community favours religious sermons in 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,...
(rather than in Arabic) and attends Friday prayers in Turkish mosques. There are numerous notable Turkish mosques in Australia; in 1992, the Cyprus Turkish Islamic Society constructed an Ottoman-style mosque, known as the Sunshine Mosque
Sunshine Mosque
The Cyprus Turkish Islamic Community of Victoria, more commonly known as the Sunshine Mosque, is an Ottoman/Turkish-style mosque in Sunshine, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia...
, which was designed to mirror the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire . The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior....
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. Another important Turkish mosque is the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque
Auburn Gallipoli Mosque
The Auburn Gallipoli Mosque is an Ottoman-style mosque in Auburn, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The mosque attracts about 800 worshippers every week and is primarily used by Turkish Australians....
, which attracts about 800 worshippers every week and is listed as an Australian heritage building.
Language
The Turkish languageTurkish 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,...
is well maintained in Australia and is seen as very important for the self-identification of Turkish Australians. There are numerous Turkish private schools, including Özel College and Kuzey College, that cater for Turkish Australian students.
Newspapers
There are several Turkish language newspapers produced in Australia and generally available free of charge, including Yeni Vatan, Dunya, Zaman and the Australian Turkish News Weekly.Radio
Currently in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
SBS Radio
SBS Radio
SBS Radio is a service provided by the Special Broadcasting Service '..to inform, educate and entertain Australians, especially those of non-English speaking backgrounds'. SBS Radio originally began as two stations based in Melbourne and Sydney, set up to provide pre-recorded information about the...
broadcasts in 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,...
for an hour a day. Other community stations also broadcast in Turkish, though with less hours of content. For example, 3ZZZ
3ZZZ
3ZZZ is an ethnic community radio station in Melbourne, Australia broadcasting programs in over 70 languages on FM 92.3 MHz....
currently produces five hours of Turkish programming spread over four days each week.
Television
Turkish satellite televisionSatellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
services are available in Australia. The Australian satellite service provider UBI World TV
UBI World TV
UBI World TV is an Australian digital satellite pay television service that broadcasts predominantly ethnic channels. It launched in late 2004 and currently offers over 80 channels in its lineup from over 20 countries in over 12 languages.The company also provides entertainment and information...
claims to reach 40,000 Turkish speakers. Furthermore, BRT
Bayrak
Bayrak Radio Television Corporation , is the official radio and television broadcasting corporation of the self-proclaimed 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus'.-History:...
, the official radio and television broadcasting corporation of Northern Cyprus, claims to reach 60,000 Turkish Cypriot Australians.
See also
- Australians in TurkeyAustralians in TurkeyThere are as much as 12,000 Australians in Turkey. Of these, the overwhelming majority are from the capital Ankara while the remaining are in Istanbul. Australian expatriates in Turkey form one of the largest overseas Australian groups in Europe. The vast majority of Australian nationals in Turkey...
- Association of Turkish Cypriots AbroadAssociation of Turkish Cypriots AbroadThe Association of Turkish Cypriots Abroad , is an organization of expatriate Turkish Cypriots and Turkish Cypriot supporters who seek to spread information about the de facto unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus....
- Hume City FCHume City FCHume City Football Club is a football club based in Broadmeadows the suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- History :Hume City are the most successful Turkish backed football club in Australia...
- Islam in AustraliaIslam in AustraliaIslam in Australia is a small minority religious grouping, but fourth largest after all forms of Christianity , irreligion and Buddhism , excluding 11.2% who failed to answer at the last census...
- Kemal Atatürk Memorial, CanberraKemal Atatürk Memorial, CanberraThe Kemal Atatürk Memorial is a memorial on ANZAC Parade, the principal memorial and ceremonial parade on Canberra, the capital of Australia....