Turk in Romania


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Turks of Romania are often referred to as the Osmanlis, the Rumelian Turks, and the Balkan Turks, (Rumelia means "land of the Romans" and refers to the Balkan Mountains). They are the descendants of the Ottoman Turks who migrated from their central Asian homeland, conquered Anatolia (modern day Turkey), and eventually established the Ottoman Empire. At its peak, the Ottoman Empire encompassed the Balkan Mountains, Arabia and North Africa. At one time, the empire also threatened to take over Vienna. Romania was part of the Ottoman Empire for more than 300 years, until the country gained its independence in the 1860s. Religious freedom was guaranteed to all citizens under the Communist Romanian Constitution, but in practice, religion was not encouraged, and clergy were restricted and often hindered in their duties. Religious education was discouraged and, in some cases, totally banned.


What Are Their Lives Like?

During the long Ottoman Empire reign, Rumelian Turks often settled in Balkan towns and served as military personnel or administrators or worked as craftsmen. During the late eighteenth century, many Crimean Tatars and Circassians from the Caucasus migrated to the Dobruja region where they were given land by the Ottoman government. The immigrants formed farming villages, adopted the Turkish language and religion, and intermingled with Rumelian Turks. These Dobruja Rumelian Turks are still a distinctive cultural entity. However, religious, linguistic, and social differences prevented Rumelian Turks from intermarrying with the local populations in large numbers. When they did intermarry, Turkish men usually married Muslim, non-Turkish women. Under communist rule, the Muslim minority was governed by a Mufti (Muslim leader), whose seat was at Constanta, the capital of the Dobruja region. Many Turks left the Balkans after Yugoslavia, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania became independent countries in the nineteenth century. After World War II, about 200,000 Turks from Bulgaria and Romania were relocated in Turkey. Many of the estimated 5. 5 million Rumelian Turk who returned to Turkey were given land. Local people call the Rumelian Turk settlements "immigrant villages. " The Dobruja Turks who migrated to Turkey have been assimilated in large numbers into the Turkish professional classes and serve in various government organizations. Lamb, a favorite meat of the Turks, is typically prepared as a pilaf (rice and oil cooked with small bits of meat). Turks relish sweets, and they are especially fond of Turkish delight (a gummy confection usually cut in cubes and dusted with sugar). The Muslim religion forbids drinking alcoholic beverages; instead, the Turks drink lots of strong coffee and yogurt.


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. The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah. Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will. In most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.


What Are Their Needs?

The Bible and the JESUS Film are available in Turkish. However, few if any Rumelian Turks in Romania are known to follow Christ. These precious people desperately need committed workers who will show them Christ's love.


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 Romania. 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 Romania.


Scripture Prayers for the Turk in Romania.


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 21,000
Population all Countries 67,070,000
Total Countries 68
Indigenous Yes
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 Romania
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Constanta and Tulcea departments: Dobruja region, southeast along the Danube.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Romania
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Constanta and Tulcea departments: Dobruja region, southeast along the Danube..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
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 (21,000 speakers)
Language Code tur   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Danubian
Dialect Code 17816   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Turkish (21,000 speakers)
Language Code tur   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Danubian
Dialect Code 17816   Global Recordings 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 Bethany World Prayer Center  
Video Source The Waiting World
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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