The Turks in Tunisia, also known as Turco-Tunisians. and Tunisian Turks, ( ar, أتراك تونس; french: Turcs de Tunisie; tr, Tunus Türkleri) are ethnic

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

who constitute one of the minority groups in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

.. In 1534, with about 10,000 Turkish soldiers, the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

took control and settled in the region when Tunisia's inhabitants called for help due to fears that the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

would invade the country. Thus, during the Ottoman rule, the Turkish community dominated the political life of the region for centuries; as a result, the ethnic mix of Tunisia changed considerably with the continuous migration of Turks from

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

, as well as other parts of the Ottoman territories, for over 300 years. In addition, some Turks intermarried with the local population and their male offspring were called "

Kouloughlis Kouloughlis, also spelled Koulouglis, Cologhlis and Qulaughlis (from Turkish ''Kuloğlu'' "Children of The Empire Servants" from '' Kul'' "soldier" or "servant/slave" + '' Oğlu'' "son of"), but the translation of the word "kul" as slave is mislea ...

".. Consequently, the terms "Turks" and "Kouloughlis" have traditionally been used to distinguish between those of full and partial Turkish ancestry. In northern

Cap Bon Cape Bon ("Good Cape") is a peninsula in far northeastern Tunisia, also known as Ras at-Taib ( ar, الرأس الطيب), Sharīk Peninsula, or Watan el Kibli; Cape Bon is also the name of the northernmost point on the peninsula, also known as ...

, the town of Hammam Ghezèze ( "Oghuz's bath") is populated with descendants of Oghuz Turks (''Ghezèze'' and ''Aghzaz'' being Arabic for "Oghuz").

Demographics

Families of Turkish origin live mainly near the coastal cities, such as

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

Mahdia Mahdia ( ar, المهدية ') is a Tunisian coastal city with 62,189 inhabitants, south of Monastir and southeast of Sousse. Mahdia is a provincial centre north of Sfax. It is important for the associated fish-processing industry, as well as w ...

, Hammamet and the islands (such as

Djerba Djerba (; ar, جربة, Jirba, ; it, Meninge, Girba), also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is a Tunisian island and the largest island of North Africa at , in the Gulf of Gabès, off the coast of Tunisia. It had a population of 139,544 ...

), although there are also many living within central Tunisia as well.

Culture

Language

In 2012 the Tunisian government introduced the

Turkish language Turkish ( , ), also referred to as Turkish of Turkey (''Türkiye Türkçesi''), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 80 to 90 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Significant sma ...

in all Tunisian secondary schools.

Religion

The Ottoman

brought with them the teaching of the

Hanafi School The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools (maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named afte ...

of Islam during the Ottoman rule of Tunisia, which still survives among the Turkish-descended families today.. Traditionally, Turco-Tunisian mosques have octagonal minarets. Examples of Ottoman-Turkish mosques include: File:Minaret, mosquée Hammouda Pacha.jpg,

Hammouda Pacha Mosque Hammouda Pacha Mosque or Hamouda Pacha al Mouradi ( ar, مسجد حمودة باشا) is a mosque in Tunis, Tunisia. It is an official historical monument. Localization This mosque is located in the Medina area of the city, in the Sidi Ben Aro ...

File:Babsouika 1890.jpg,

Sidi Mahrez Mosque Sidi Mahrez Mosque, also known as Mohamed Bey El Mouradi Mosque, is a mosque in Tunis, Tunisia. It is an official historical monument. Localization This mosque is located in Medina area of the city. History It was built by Mohamed Bey El Mour ...

File:Mosquée des Turcs-Houmt Souk.jpg,

Mosque of the Turks The Mosque of the Turks ( ar, جامع الترك), also known as ''Jemaa ettrouk'', is a Tunisian historical mosque located in the center of Houmt Essouk in the island of Djerba. Location The mosque is located in Houmt Essouk, in front ...

File:MinaretMosquéeSidiYousefDey.JPG, Youssef Dey Mosque

Notable people

The Turks in Tunisia were traditionally a privileged élite in Tunisia who held positions in the military and the bureaucracy.. However, by the nineteenth century, marriages with the local population linked the ruling families to indigenous notables. At this time, many Turks also turned to commerce and the crafts, initially in the Souq el-Trouk (the Bazaar of the Turks), where a considerable number of merchants of Turkish ancestry emerged. The Turks also entered the corps of artisans. The Ben Romdhan family, of Turkish origin, claim much of the notable Tunisian families of

such as the Hamza, Turki, Gazdagli, Agha, and Snène families.. Other prominent Tunisian families of Turkish origin include the , , El Materis, , , Mamis and the s. * Ahmed Abdelkefi, economist *, historian *

Mahmoud Aslan Mahmoud Aslan (Arabic: محمد أصلان), (1902 – after 1971) was an active participant in literary life during the French protectorate of Tunisia. He produced numerous novels, short stories, and plays. He was also the founder of the journal "' ...

, writer *, politician * Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki, founder of the

Husainid Dynasty The Husainid dynasty or Husaynid dynasty ( ar, الحسينيون) was a ruling dynasty of the Beylik of Tunis, which was of Greek origin from the island of Crete. It came to power under al-Husayn I ibn Ali in 1705, succeeding the Muradid dynast ...

* Mohamed Salah Baratli, resistant of the French occupation, opponent of President Bourguiba, human rights activist *, religious cleric *, religious cleric *, intellectual *, religious cleric *, religious cleric * Asma Belkhodja, pioneer of the Tunisian feminist movement *, politician * Ali Bach Hamba, journalist and politician * Mohamed Bach Hamba, writer *

Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud (born in 1947, Tunis) is a Tunisian film writer and producer. Biography Mahmoud was born in 1947 in Tunis, Tunisia, to a family of Turkish origin who had settled in Tunisia in 1710. His father was a theologian and amateur art ...

, filmmaker * Yasemin Besson, wife of Éric Besson * Lotfi Bouchnak, musician * Hassen Bouhajeb, doctor. *, journalist * Ahmed Chérif, doctor *, doctor * Mustapha Dinguizli, politicianPaul Lambert, ''Dictionnaire illustré de La Tunisie : choses et gens de Tunisie'', éd. C. Saliba aîné, Tunis, 1912, p. 157 *

Ali Douagi Ali Douagi or Ali el-Du'aji ( aeb, علي الدوعاجي; January 4, 1909 – May 27, 1949) was a Tunisian literary and cultural icon who is considered to be one of the pioneers of modern Tunisian literature. He is best remembered as "the f ...

, literary and cultural icon * Abderrahman Dziri, medical researcher * Mustafa Elkatipzade, Fenerbahçe football manager * Nazli Fadhel, pioneer of the Tunisian feminist movement * Sadok Ghileb, politicianMohamed El Aziz Ben Achour, ''Catégories de la société tunisoise dans la deuxième moitié du XIX^e siècle'', éd. Institut national d'archéologie et d'art, Tunis, 1989, p. 235 *, theatre director *

Afef Jnifen Afef Jnifen (born 3 November 1963) is a Tunisian-born Italian fashion model, actress and television presenter. Biography Jnifen was born in 1963 in Ben Gardane, Tunisia and naturalized Italian citizen. She is the daughter of the former Tunisi ...

, model and actress * Mohamed Lahbib, pioneer of theater and television in Tunisia * Mahmoud El Materi, physician and politician *

Moncef El Materi Moncef El Materi (born 20 November 1934) is a Tunisian businessman and former commanding officer of the artillery of Tunisia. He established Al Adwya, one of Tunisia's biggest private pharmaceutical companies, with his brother Tahar El Materi in th ...

, former soldier and businessman * Sakher El Materi, businessman * Tahar El Materi, businessman *, photographer *, artist *

Chafia Rochdi Zakia Bent Haj Boubaker Marrakchi, better known by her stage names Chafia Rochdi and Nana (November 7, 1910 – July 21, 1989) was a Tunisian singer and actress. Biography Born November 7, 1910, in Sfax as Zakia Bent Haj Boubaker Marrakchi, Roch ...

, singer and actress *

Hichem Rostom Hichem Rostom (26 May 1947 – 28 June 2022) was a Tunisian actor. He appeared in more than 70 films and television shows since 1987. He starred in '' Golden Horseshoes'', which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1989 Cannes ...

, actor * Mourad Salem, artist * Rachid Sfar, former prime minister *

Mongi Slim Mongi Slim ( ar, منجي سليم, tr, Mengi Selim) (September 1, 1908October 23, 1969) was a Tunisian diplomat who became the first African to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1961. He received a degree from the ...

, nationalist leader and Minister *, diplomat * Najiya Thamir, writer and radio producer * Hedi Turki, painter * Yahia Turki, painter *

Zoubeir Turki Zoubeir Turki (19 November 1924 – 23 October 2009) was a Tunisian painter and sculptor of Turkish people, Turkish origin. He was the younger brother of Hedi Turki (1922–2019). Born in the Medina of Tunis to a family of Turkish people, Tu ...

, painter * Abdeljelil Zaouche, Minister of Justice (1936–1943) *, professor

References

Bibliography

* * *. *. * *. *. *. *. *. * *. *. *. * *. * * {{Turkish diaspora Ethnic groups in Tunisia