Turks in Palestine

Turks in Palestine
Total population
400,000-500,000 (1987 estimate)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Gaza Strip, Jerusalem
Languages
Turkish, Arabic
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Turkish Cypriots, Syrian Turkmens, Turks in Lebanon

The Turks in Palestine (Turkish: Filistin'deki Türkler), also referred to as Palestinian Turks and Palestinian Turkmen (Turkish: Filistin Türkmenleri) are ethnic Turkish descendants who have had a long-established presence in Palestine. With Turkish rule spanning between the years 1069-1917/22, mass Turkish migration was encouraged during the rule of Nureddin Zengi in Syria, and then when thousands of Turks participated in the battle of Jerusalem with Saladin. Turkish migration continued further during the Mamluk and Ottoman rule of Palestine as well as during the British rule.[2]

  1. ^ Khateeb, Alya (1987), عرب التركمان أبناء مرج بن عامر ("The Arab Turkmen – Merj Beni Amir Children"), Dar Al-Jalil
  2. ^ Tütüncü, Mehmet (2008), Turkish Palestine (1069-1917): Inscriptions from al-Khalil (Hebron), Nabi Musa and Other Palestinian Cities Under Turkish Rule, SOTA, ISBN 9789069210049