Map of ethnic Georgians significant distribution in Turkey
|
|
Total population | |
---|---|
100,000–1,500,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Black Sea Region, Marmara Region, Eastern Anatolia Region | |
Languages | |
Georgian, Turkish | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Sunni Islam, minority Orthodox Christianity | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Laz people |
Georgians in Turkey (Georgian: ქართველები თურქეთში) refers to citizens and denizens of Turkey who are, or descend from, ethnic Georgians who originate in Georgia.
Chveneburi had arrived in Turkey basically in three waves of migration due to pogroms and what is now termed ethnic cleansing of Caucasians by the Russian Empire. The first wave was during and after the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829 when the Sublime Porte consigned its sovereignty over several parts of Georgia to the Russian Empire. Minor immigrations had also followed until the end of Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878 when Ottoman Empire allowed Chveneburi to immigrate, the major wave of immigration involved at least 500,000 people from historic Georgian regions that had considerable Muslim populations such as Batumi and Kars. This wave of being muhajirs, known as muhajiroba (მუჰაჯირობა) had left many Muslim-majority regions of Georgia virtually depopulated. The last sizable wave of immigration was in 1921 when Turkey finally gave up its claims on Adjara in the Treaty of Kars with the Soviet republics. This last wave also involved Turkish-speaking Muslims from Upper Adjara. Adjarians were also known by their places of origin, such as Batumlular for people from Batumi, Çürüksulular for people from Kobuleti.