Turks in Montenegro, also known as Turkish Montenegrins and Montenegrin Turks, ( tr, Karadağ 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 o ...

who form an

ethnic minority The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

History

In 1496 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) ...

conquered

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

which bequeathed a significant Turkish community due to the Ottoman colonisation process. However, in the early 20th century, after the Ottomans were defeated in the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

, the majority of Turks along with other Muslims living in the region left their homes and migrated to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

as ''

muhacirs Muhacir or Muhajir (from ar, مهاجر, translit=muhājir, lit=migrant) are the estimated 10 million Ottoman Muslim citizens, and their descendants born after the onset of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, mostly Turks but also Albanians, ...

'' ("refugees").

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, there were 104 Turks living in the country, forming a minority of some 0.02% of the total population. However, the former vice president of the Parliament of Montenegro, Suljo Mustafić, has stated that whilst there are only 50 families which still speak 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 ...

, the population of Montenegrins of Turkish origin is significantly higher.

Age-sex structure

The

average age This article is a list of countries by median age. Methodology The median age is the index that divides the entire population into two numerically equal age groups, one younger than that age and the other older than that age. It is the only in ...

of the Turkish minority is slightly higher than 40 years old. The population is overwhelmingly male (>65%), as there are only 36 females (<35%).

Religion

Islam is the predominant faith among Turks in Montenegro: 101 out of 104 ethnic Turks belong to this religion (this is over 97% in percentage terms). There is one Turkish

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

living in Montenegro and two other Turks did not state their religion.

Diaspora

Many Montenegrin Turks have emigrated to

and live predominantly in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

and Izmir.

Notable people

*, politician *

Şakir Bayhan Şakir Bayhan (4 October 1938 – 15 February 2019) was a Turkish lexicographer, and forestry engineer. One of the unique lexicographers worked on Balkan Languages, whose main profession is not linguistics. Background He was born in Bijelo ...

, forest engineer and lexicographer *, soldier, politician and businessman * Suljo Mustafić, former Vice President of the

Parliament of Montenegro The Parliament of Montenegro ( cg, Скупштина Црне Горе, Skupština Crne Gore) is the unicameral legislature of Montenegro. The Parliament currently has 81 members, with each member elected to a four-year term. Following the 2006 ...

*, bureaucrat and politician

References

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

Ethnic groups in Montenegro Muslim communities in Europe {{Montenegro-stub

History

Demographics

Age-sex structure

Religion

Diaspora

Notable people

See also

References