Turkish Roma

The Turkish Roma, also referred to as Turkish Gypsy, Türk Çingeneler, Turski Tsigani (турски цигани), Turkogifti (τουρκο-γύφτοι), Țigani turci, Török Cigányok, Turci Cigani[1] are self-Turkified and assimilated Muslim Roma (Horahane) who have adopted Turkish culture over the centuries,[2] including adopting the Turkish language and used to speak the Rumelian Romani language. They adopted Turkish culture in order to establish a Turkish identity to become more recognized by the host population[3] and have denied their Romani background[4] to express their Turkishness. During a population census, they declared themselves as Turks instead of Roma. While they have always been allowed to live in Turkish communities as Turks, they face economic discrimination and have conflicting views among Turks while Christian Romani do not consider themselves as part of Romani society.[5][6] They are cultural Muslims who adopted Sunni Islam of Hanafi madhab and religious male circumcision at the time of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate and Ottoman Empire.

Their legendary leader was Mansur ibn Yakub Han, called Çingene Han. He built his karavansaray in Malatya in 1224. Today it can still be seen as a ruin. Mansur bin Yakup Han is buried in the Ulu Mosque in Malatya.[7]

  1. ^ "Muzulmán romák: "török cigányok" és "tisztátalanok"?".
  2. ^ Ülker, Erol (11 January 2008). "Assimilation of the Muslim communities in the first decade of the Turkish Republic (1923-1934)". European Journal of Turkish Studies. doi:10.4000/ejts.822.
  3. ^ Yılgür, Egemen (1 January 2021). "Turcoman Gypsies in the Balkans: Just a Preferred Identity or More?". Romani History and Culture Festschrift in Honour of Prof. Dr. Veselin Popov / Hristo Kyuchukov, Sofiya Zahova, Ian Duminica. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  4. ^ Ozatesler, G.; Özate?ler, Gül (2014). Gypsy Stigma and Exclusion in Turkey, 1970: The Social Dynamics of Exclusionary Violence. Palgrave Macmillan US. ISBN 978-1-137-38661-8.[page needed]
  5. ^ "The Muslim Gypsies in Romania". Scholarypublications.universiteitleiden.nl. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  6. ^ Ünaldı, Halime (1 January 2012). "TÜRKİYE'DE YAŞAYAN KÜLTÜREL BİR FARKLILIK: ÇİNGENELER". Batman Üniversitesi Yaşam Bilimleri Dergisi. pp. 615–626.
  7. ^ "Chingene Han".