Turks in Spain ( tr, ), or Spanish Turks, refers to ethnic Turks who have emigrated to Spain as well as the growing Spanish-born community with full or partial Turkish origins. The Turkish Spanish community includes descendants who originate from the

Republic of 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 well as other post- Ottoman modern nation-states, especially ethnic Turkish communities from the Balkans (e.g. Bulgaria and Romania), and to a lesser extent from the island of Cyprus, and other parts of the Levant.

History

Turkish migration from Turkey

Turkish migration from the Balkans

Bulgaria

The migration waves of Turkish Bulgarians to Spain began as early as the late 1980s. It was a consequence of the ongoing “Revival Process” under communist rule (1984-1989). The aggressive Bulgarisation policies pursued by the communist rule was met with resistance by the Turkish population with many sent to prison or the

Belene labour camp The Belene labour camp, also referred to as Belene concentration camp, was part of the network of forced labour camps in Communist Bulgaria. It was located on the Belene Island, between two branches of the Danube river. At the height of Valko ...

and then extradited from Bulgaria; consequently, many Turkish Bulgarians fled to Turkey and Western Europe, including Spain. Since the early 2000s, there has been a significant increase in the number of citizens from Bulgaria who have emigrated to Spain. Among these immigrants are ethnic Turkish Bulgarians who, alongside ethnic Bulgarians (as well as Pomaks, Armenians and other minority groups), have settled in Catalonia, Madrid,

Alicante Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in th ...

and Valencia.

Romania

Between 2002 and 2011 there was a significant decrease in the population of the Turkish Romanian minority group due to the admission of Romania into the European Union and the subsequent relaxation of the travelling and migration regulations. Hence, Turkish Romanians, especially from the Dobruja region, have joined other Romanian citizens (e.g. ethnic Romanians, Tatars, etc.) in migrating mostly to Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the UK.

Turkish migration from the diaspora

There has also been ethnic Turkish migration to Spain from the modern Turkish diaspora, most notably

British Turks British Turks ( tr, ) or Turks in the United Kingdom ( tr, ) are Turkish people who have immigrated to the United Kingdom. However, the term may also refer to British-born persons who have Turkish parents or who have a Turkish ancestral backgro ...

and German Turks who have arrived in Spain as British and German citizens.

Demographics

The majority of Turks in Spain are recent immigrants and mainly live in Catalonia (especially in Barcelona) followed by the Community of Madrid and the Valencian Community (especially in

). Smaller communities have also been formed in Andalusia and the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

Organisations and associations

* Alliance of Civilizations, a forum sponsored by Turkey and Spain *Casa Turca

Notable Turks in Spain

* Ümit Hussein, literary translator and interpreter (born in the UK; Turkish Cypriot parents) *

Hussein Salem Hussein Salem (11 November 1933 – 12 August 2019) ( ar, حسين سالم) was an Egyptian-Spanish businessman, co-owner of the East Mediterranean Gas Company (EMG), and ally and advisor to former president Hosni Mubarak. He was also the chair ...

, businessman (born in Egypt; Turkish mother and Arab father) * Sercan Sararer, football player (born in Germany; Turkish father and Spanish Catalan mother)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Turks In Spain Spain Spain Ethnic groups in Spain Muslim communities in Europe Spain–Turkey relations