Turks in Libya
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (Ottoman-Turkish descendants: 1,500,000 (2015 estimate) 35,062 or 4.7% of Libya's population (1936 census)) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Islam |
Turks in Libya, also known as Libyan Turks and Turco-Libyans, (Turkish: Libya Türkleri) are the ethnic Turks who live in Libya. During the Ottoman rule of Libya, the Turks colonized and dominated the political life of the region, as a result, the ethnic mix of Libya changed with the migration of Turks from Anatolia and the evolvement of the "Kouloughlis" (also referred to as "Cologhlis") who are people of mixed Turkish and Maghrebi blood. There has also been a modern wave of migration since 1975 from Turkey.
When the Ottoman Empire conquered Libya in 1551 the Turks began migrating to the region, as a consequence, many Turkish soldiers married Arab women and their children were known as the "Kouloughlis" (also referred to as the "Cologhla", "Qulaughli" and "Cologhli").
By 1936 the Turkish community formed 5% of Libya's population, numbering about 35,000, of which 30,000 lived along the Tripolitanian coast.
Today there are still Libyans who regard their ethnicity as Turkish, or acknowledge their descendants to the Turkish soldiers who settled in the area during the Ottoman rule. Indeed, many families in Libya can trace their origins through their surnames. It is very common for families to have surnames that belgong to the region of Turkey that their ancestors migrated from; for example, Tokatlı, Eskişehirli, Muğlalı, and İzmirli are very common surnames.
Turkish labour migration has traditionally been to European countries within the context of bilateral agreements. In 2011 there were 25,000 Turkish citizens residing in Libya.
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Wikipedia