Turks in Azerbaijan
Encyclopedia
Turks in Azerbaijan are Turkish people
who live in Azerbaijan
. According to the 1999 Azerbaijani population census, there were 43,400 Turks living in Azerbaijan (the next census will be held in 2009 and published in 2010). This number includes both Meskhetian Turks, who have largely immigrated to Azerbaijan in the 1950s-1960s and the 1990s, and Turks from Turkey
who have settled in Azerbaijan since the 1990s, and have become Azerbaijani citizens. As dual citizenship is not recognized by the Republic of Azerbaijan, only Azerbaijani citizens are counted in the population census and no distinction is made between Meskhetian Turks and Turks from Turkey who have become Azerbaijani citizens, when classified in the population census as Turks. The 16.000 expatriate Turkish citizens living in Azerbaijan are mainly temporary residents, 11.000 of whom are employed in the booming petrolium and service industries in and around the capital Baku
.
of Turkish
and Azerbaijani
.
Between the tenth and eleventh centuries, the lands of Anatolia
and Azerbaijan
were conquered and inhabited by Oghuz Turks
, the founders of both the Seljuk Empire and its successor the Ottoman Empire
, from which its last successor, the modern Republic of Turkey eventually developed.
entered Azerbaijan in the 19th century as deportees from Georgia
, more arrived in 1918-20. Later, in 1944 Stalin's ethnic cleansing of the Northern-Caucasus forced most Meskhetian Turks to Central Asia
, and some eventually migrated to Azerbaijan. In 1958-62 the settlement of over 20,000 families was sanctioned by the government in the districts of Saatly Rayon, Sabirabad Rayon, Khachmaz Rayon and Shamkir Rayon. In the last years of the Soviet Union
, pogroms in Uzbekistan
brought the latest wave of Meskhetian Turks to Azerbaijan from 1989 onward, which settled mostly in the districts Balakan Rayon, Zaqatala Rayon, Qakh Rayon near the Georgian border. The Azerbaijani government, facing problems with its own 1 million internally displaced and external Azeri refugees from its break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh
and Armenia
, did not accept larger numbers and the further settlement of Meskhetian Turks to Azerbaijan was stopped in 1993.
The overwhelming majority of the Turks in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani citizens and foreign citizens alike, live in the capital Baku.
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 live in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. According to the 1999 Azerbaijani population census, there were 43,400 Turks living in Azerbaijan (the next census will be held in 2009 and published in 2010). This number includes both Meskhetian Turks, who have largely immigrated to Azerbaijan in the 1950s-1960s and the 1990s, and Turks 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...
who have settled in Azerbaijan since the 1990s, and have become Azerbaijani citizens. As dual citizenship is not recognized by the Republic of Azerbaijan, only Azerbaijani citizens are counted in the population census and no distinction is made between Meskhetian Turks and Turks from Turkey who have become Azerbaijani citizens, when classified in the population census as Turks. The 16.000 expatriate Turkish citizens living in Azerbaijan are mainly temporary residents, 11.000 of whom are employed in the booming petrolium and service industries in and around the capital Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
.
History
Turkish and Azeri people share many aspects of Turkic heritage from a common culture and history, and the mutual intelligibilityMutual intelligibility
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is recognized as a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related languages can readily understand each other without intentional study or extraordinary effort...
of 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,...
and Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani or Azeri or Torki is a language belonging to the Turkic language family, spoken in southwestern Asia by the Azerbaijani people, primarily in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran...
.
Between the tenth and eleventh centuries, the lands of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
were conquered and inhabited by Oghuz Turks
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
, the founders of both the Seljuk Empire and its successor 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...
, from which its last successor, the modern Republic of Turkey eventually developed.
Modern history
The first TurksTurkish 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...
entered Azerbaijan in the 19th century as deportees from Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, more arrived in 1918-20. Later, in 1944 Stalin's ethnic cleansing of the Northern-Caucasus forced most Meskhetian Turks to Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, and some eventually migrated to Azerbaijan. In 1958-62 the settlement of over 20,000 families was sanctioned by the government in the districts of Saatly Rayon, Sabirabad Rayon, Khachmaz Rayon and Shamkir Rayon. In the last years of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, pogroms in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
brought the latest wave of Meskhetian Turks to Azerbaijan from 1989 onward, which settled mostly in the districts Balakan Rayon, Zaqatala Rayon, Qakh Rayon near the Georgian border. The Azerbaijani government, facing problems with its own 1 million internally displaced and external Azeri refugees from its break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, did not accept larger numbers and the further settlement of Meskhetian Turks to Azerbaijan was stopped in 1993.
The overwhelming majority of the Turks in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani citizens and foreign citizens alike, live in the capital Baku.
Demographic history
| Year | Turkish population | % of Azerbaijan's population |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 200 | 0% |
| 1970 | 8,500 | 0.2% |
| 1979 | 7,900 | 0.2% |
| 1989 | 17,700 | 0.2% |
| 1999 | 43,400 | 0.5% |
| 2009 | N/A | N/A |
| (Source: Azerbaijani Census) | ||
Notable people
- Shafiga Afandizadeh, journalist
- Devran AyhanDevran AyhanDevran Ayhan is a Turkish football player. He currently plays for FK Khazar Lenkoran in Azerbaijan.He previously played for Gebzespor, B. Petrolspor, Çaykur Rizespor, Gaziantepspor, Kayseri Erciyesspor, Ankaraspor and Ankaragücü in Turkey-External links:*...
, football player - Oktay DerelioğluOktay DereliogluOktay Derelioğlu is Turkish former international footballer. Derelioğlu played as a forward and is notable for his goal against Belgium during the qualifying rounds of the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
, football player - Omar Faig Nemanzadeh, journalist
- Ahmad bey Pepinov, politician
- Mehmet Akif PirimMehmet Akif PirimMehmet Akif Pirim , is a former Turkish Olympic medalist sports wrestler in the Featherweight class , and currently a trainer...
, football player
See also
- Azerbaijan–Turkey relations
- Azeris in TurkeyAzeris in TurkeyIt is hard to determine how many ethnic Azeris currently reside in Turkey because ethnicity is a rather fluid concept in this country. According to some sources, there are about 800,000 Twelvers, however this figure may differ substantially from the real one. Up to 300,000 of Azeris who reside in...
- Battle of BakuBattle of BakuThe Battle of Baku in June – September 1918 was a clash between coalitions of Ottoman–Azerbaijani forces led by Nuri Pasha and Bolshevik–Dashnak Baku Soviet forces, later succeeded by British–Armenian–White Russian forces led by Lionel Dunsterville as part of the final battle of the Caucasus...
- Turks in the former Soviet UnionTurks in the former Soviet UnionTurks in the former Soviet Union were a relatively small minority within the Soviet Union. However, their presence is considered important within Turkology due to the deportation of thousands of Turks from their home countries. Under the Ottoman Empire, Samtskhe-Javakheti was heavily Islamised...