Turk in Greece


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Rumelian Turks are a remnant of the Ottoman Turks who migrated from their homeland in central Asia in the thirteenth century. Rumelian Turks conquered Anatolia and established the Ottoman Empire, which encompassed the Balkan Mountains, Arabia, North Africa, and eventually the Greek-based Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans conquered the Byzantine Empire in the mid 1400s, and there have often been hard feelings between the Turks and the Greeks at various times ever since.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Greek government has a policy of not referring specifically to the ethnic Turkish community but instead, they refer to their entire Muslim population as a whole. This has caused some consternation among the Turks in Greece, and it has called into question Greece's willingness to allow the Turks in their country to have their own ethnic identity. Lamb is a favorite meat of Turks. The most common way of preparing it is pilaf, where small bits of meat are cooked with rice and oil. Musaka (roasted meat and eggplant) and kapama (mutton with spinach and green onions) are other popular dishes. Turks are very fond of sweets and eat large quantities, especially the kind known as Turkish delights (gummy confections usually cut in cubes and dusted with sugar). Rumelian Turks are not supposed to drink alcohol because their Islamic belief forbids it. Instead, they drink much coffee and sour milk or yogurt, which they believe keeps them healthy. Since 2017 the Turkish government has been cracking down on those they deem a threat to their power. As a result, there have been Turks who have fled to Greece as political refugees. These Turks are often journalists and other professionals who are living off their savings and trying to keep a low profile.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Wherever they live Turks are Sunni Muslims. "Sunni," is derived from the Islamic term, sunnah, which means "well-trodden path. " Sunnis believe that the correct path is that of the majority. They believe that the One, Supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship. Commonly, Turks identify with Sunni Islam as part of their identity, but they are usually not observant of all Muslim practices. This is especially true for Turks in diaspora like those in Greece.


What Are Their Needs?

The Bible and the JESUS Film have already been translated into the language of the Turks. However, only a small number of Greek Rumelian Turks are known to have put their faith in Christ. Prayer is the key to reaching them with the life-changing gospel.


Prayer Points

Pray that the sheer wonder of knowing Jesus and the impact he has on their lives and the joy he brings spur believers to share Christ with the Turkish people in Greece. Pray the hearts of the Turkish people would be stirred by a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit readying them for the time when they hear and respond to the gospel. Pray Turks will experience dreams and visions of Jesus leading them into a saving relationship with him. Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among the Turks in Greece.


Scripture Prayers for the Turk in Greece.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

The Waiting World - The Turk

Source:  The Waiting World      Download

People Name General Turk
People Name in Country Turk
Pronunciation terk
Alternate Names Anatolian; Baharlu Turk; Masakhastian; Meskhetian Turk; Osmanli; Ottomon Turk; Rumelian Turk; Urum; तुर्क
Population this Country 12,000
Population all Countries 67,070,000
Total Countries 68
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18274
ROP3 Code 113818
ROP25 Code 308375
ROP25 Name Turk
Country Greece
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Macedonia and Thrace administrative unit: Xanthi, west of Lake Vistorius, on Bulgaria border; Rodopi, Bulgaria border west of Komotini.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Greece
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Macedonia and Thrace administrative unit: Xanthi, west of Lake Vistorius, on Bulgaria border; Rodopi, Bulgaria border west of Komotini..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Turk in Greece
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Turkish (12,000 speakers)
Language Code tur   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Turkish (12,000 speakers)
Language Code tur   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Turkish

Primary Language:  Turkish

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1782-1985)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1819-1993)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1827-2009)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Love Story General / Other
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Turkish Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Walk with the Prophets and meet the Messiah Al Massira
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Turkish YouVersion Bibles
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group location: Bilal Selim Filiz. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Video Source The Waiting World
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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