Turkish Canadians
Turkish Canadians at the Victoria Day Parade in 2005.
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (55,430 (by ancestry, 2011 Census)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Toronto · Montreal · Vancouver · London · Ottawa · Calgary · Edmonton | |
| Languages | |
| Turkish · Canadian English · Canadian French | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Sunni Islam, significant minority of Shi'a Islam (Alevi) |
Turkish Canadians (Turkish: Türk asıllı Kanadalılar; literally "Turkish-originating Canadians") are Canadian citizens of Turkish descent or Turkey-born people who reside in Canada. According to the 2011 Census there were 55,430 Canadians who claimed full or partial Turkish descent.
Turks first began to immigrate to Canada in small numbers from the Ottoman Empire. However, significant migration initially began in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the Turkish government encouraged student education abroad. Furthermore, there have been Turks fleeing from unrest and oppression from Bulgaria and Cyprus who have arrived in Canada as both political and economic refugees.
In 1901, Canada had between 300-400 Muslim residents, equally divided between Turks and Syrian Arabs. By 1911, the size of the Muslim community had increased to about 1,500, of whom 1,000 were of Turkish origin and the remainder were Arabs. During the pre-World War I period Turks were to be found in mining and logging camps across Canada. However, due to bad relations between the Ottoman Empire and Europe, further migration was made difficult for the Turks and the Canadian government discouraged "Asian" immigration. Thus, by the onset of World War I, Canada witnessed the return of many Turkish immigrants who were then classified as "enemy aliens". Another reason for the return-migration of Ottoman Turks was because for the majority of Turks, the founding of the new republic of Turkey in 1923 was a greater incentive to stay at home.
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Wikipedia