The indigenous Arabs of Southeastern Turkey represent the northernmost extension of the Mesopotamian Arab world, a community deeply rooted in the Upper Tigris and Euphrates basins (al-Jazira) for over a millennium. Distinct from the Levantine Arabs of the Mediterranean coast and the recent refugee populations, this group descends from tribes that settled the frontier zones (Awasim) of the early Islamic Caliphates and the pre-Islamic Kingdom of Osroene. Their historical presence predates the modern borders established by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, which severed their direct political ties to kin in Syria and Iraq but left their cultural and linguistic fabric intact within the Turkish Republic.
This population is geographically and linguistically divided into two primary spheres. The Sedentary Urbanites of Mardin, Siirt, and Batman speak North Mesopotamian (Qeltu) Arabic, a dialect continuum preserving archaic features of medieval Abbasid speech. They share a history of co-habitation with Syriac Christians and Kurds in the stone-built cities of the Tur Abdin plateau. The Tribal Pastoralists of the Şanlıurfa and Harran plains speak North Arabian Bedouin (Shawi) dialects, tracing their lineage to large confederations like the Tayy and Jabbur. While modern borders have solidified their Turkish citizenship, they remain a living bridge between the Anatolian highlands and the Arab Semitic world.
Livelihoods and Economy: Economic life is heavily determined by the distinct geography of the southeast.
The Harran Plain (Şanlıurfa): Historically semi-nomadic, the Arab tribes here have been transformed by the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), a massive state irrigation initiative. The arrival of water turned the arid steppe into Turkey's primary cotton belt. Arabs in this region are now largely settled cash-crop farmers, though this shift has created a stratification between land-owning tribal leaders and landless laborers.
The Mountain Enclaves (Siirt & Sason): In the rugged terrain of Siirt and Batman, livelihoods are specialized. The Arabs of Siirt are famous for cultivating the Siirt Pistachio, a major regional export known as "green gold". In the Sason district, Arab families have successfully transitioned from state-subsidized tobacco farming to strawberry production, utilizing the unique microclimate to supply national markets.
The Logistics Hub (Mardin/Cizre): Leveraging their bilingualism and cross-border kinship networks, urban Arabs in Mardin and Şırnak dominate the logistics and transportation sector. They facilitate the immense trade volume flowing through the Habur Border Gate into Iraq, managing fleets of trucks that serve as the region's economic lifeline.
Education and Bilingualism The community operates in a state of "asymmetric bilingualism." Turkish is the language of formal education, government, and high-status employment. Consequently, literacy in Turkish is near-universal among the younger generations. Conversely, their native Arabic dialects—specifically the Qeltu and Shawi varieties—are rarely written. While older generations may retain monolingual tendencies, the youth often exhibit language attrition, mixing Turkish syntax and vocabulary into their Arabic speech. They possess "oral fluency" but lack "literate fluency" in Arabic, making religious texts accessible only through formal schooling or translation.
Social Structure and Mobility Social organization ranges from the rigid tribal (aşiret) structures of the Harran plain, where customary law often settles disputes alongside state law. A significant internal diaspora exists; economic pressures have driven many Anatolian Arabs to Istanbul, where they maintain tight-knit professional networks in sectors such as food service and textiles.
The indigenous Arabs of the southeast are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, though their practice varies by region and historical influence.
Shafi'i School: The majority of Arabs in Mardin, Siirt, and Batman adhere to the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence. This distinguishes them from the Hanafi orientation of the Turkish state religious directorate (Diyanet) but aligns them with their Kurdish neighbors, fostering a shared regional religious identity.
Sufi Tradition: The region is a stronghold of Sufi orders, particularly the Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya. The town of Tillo (Aydınlar) in Siirt is a preeminent center of Islamic scholarship and mysticism. It hosts historic madrasas and the tombs of revered saints like Ismail Fakirullah, attracting religious tourists and students from across the country. This scholastic tradition has helped preserve a higher level of Classical Arabic literacy among the religious elite compared to the general populace .
Language Resources: The primary need is for resources in the vernacular. The Qeltu (North Mesopotamian) dialects are significantly different from Modern Standard Arabic and the Levantine dialects used in most Christian media. While the "Jesus Film" and some audio scriptures exist in the Mardini and North Mesopotamian dialects, there is a scarcity of creative, culturally relevant media (songs, storytelling, testimony) that speak directly to the "heart language" of these specific communities without sounding foreign or academic.
Literacy and Education In rural areas, particularly among women in the tribal belts of Urfa and Sason, educational attainment lags behind national averages. Programs that combine literacy training (in Turkish) with vocational skills (such as modern agricultural techniques for strawberries or textiles) provide essential avenues for economic empowerment and social integration.
Urban/Rural Access The rugged topography of the Sason and Pervari districts creates physical isolation, limiting access to advanced healthcare and markets. Conversely, in the urban centers, the challenge is cultural preservation; as the youth assimilate into Turkish secular society, there is a "widening gap" between them and the traditional values of their elders, creating a need for community centers that bridge this generational divide.
For the "Green Gold" and "Red Gold" Farmers: Pray for the agricultural communities in Siirt (pistachios) and Sason (strawberries). Ask for economic stability, protection from crop failure, and that their labor would yield not just financial profit but opportunities for community development and peace.
For the Peace of the Tribes: Pray for the resolution of lingering blood feuds and land disputes in the tribal regions of Mardin and Urfa. Pray that leaders of peace would rise up within the aşiret structures to mediate conflict and promote reconciliation.
For the Truth in the Dialect: Pray for the effective distribution of the Gospel of Luke and other audio materials in the North Mesopotamian dialects. Pray that hearing the truth in their specific mother tongue would break down the misconception that the Gospel is a "foreign" message.
For the Students of Tillo: Pray for the influential religious centers like Tillo. As students study the Quran and Islamic law, may they encounter the person of Isa al-Masih (Jesus) through their own texts and spiritual seeking.
For the Logistics Workers: Pray for the thousands of truck drivers and logistics workers traveling between Mardin and Iraq. Pray for their safety on the roads and that they would become carriers of good news across borders.
Scripture Prayers for the Arab, Anatolian in Türkiye (Turkey).
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
