Kosovo Turks

Turks in Kosovo

Total population
(18,738 (2011 census) (1.1% of Kosovo's population) other estimates: 30,000 to 50,000 (about 1-2% of Kosovo's population))
Regions with significant populations
Mamuša Prizren Pristina Vučitrn
Languages
Turkish Serbian, Albanian
Religion
Majority Sunni Islam minorities Alevi, Cultural Muslims and Irreligion

The Turks in Kosovo, also known as Kosovo Turks, Kosovan Turks (Turkish: Kosova Türkleri) are the ethnic Turks who constitute a minority group in Kosovo.

History

Turkish settlement into Kosovo began in the late 14th century after the medieval Serbian state lost the Battle of Kosovo and the territory came under Ottoman rule. Substantial waves of Turkish colonisers began from 1389-1455 when, during the Ottoman conquest, soldiers, officials, and merchants began to make their appearance in the major towns of Kosovo.

In 1912 the Ottoman Turks lost control over Kosovo and the region became a part of the Kingdom of Serbia. From this point, Kosovo as a political entity was discontinued as the region was divided among new administrative units within Serbia's framework. Following the Austrian and Bulgarian occupation during World War I, Serbia became part of the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918. When the Axis powers occupied Yugoslavia in 1941, the former territory of Kosovo became part of Albania, which was itself controlled by Italy. With the defeat of the Axis powers, Yugoslavia, then ruled by Communists led by Josip Broz Tito, regained control over the region. In 1946, Kosovo returned to maps when a region bearing the name Kosovo and Metohija was granted autonomous status within FPR Yugoslavia. Meanwhile, Turks officially became a recognised minority by Yugoslavia; as a result, the number of registered Turks in Kosovo jumped from a mere 1,313 (or 0.2% of the population) in 1948 to 34,343 (4.3% of Kosovo's population) in the 1953 census. However, many Turkish inhabitants began to emigrate to Turkey until 1958 on the basis of a bilingual contract between Yugoslavia and Turkey.

Turks in Kosovo according to official censuses
Year of census	Turks	% of total population
1921	27,920	6.3%
1931	23,698	4.3%
1939	24,946	3.8%
1948	1,315	0.2%
1953	34,583	4.3%
1961	25,784	2.7%
1971	12,224	1.0%
1981	12,513	0.8%
2011	18,738	1.1%

Demographics

Population

In 1993, the Human Rights Watch stated that there was approximately 20,000 Kosovan Turks, constituting about 1% of Kosovo's population. More recent estimates suggest that there are now about 29 to 30 Turks living in Kosovo, forming between 1-2% of Kosovo's total population. According to the 2011 census 18,738 citizens declared themselves as Turks, constituting 1.1% of Kosovo's total population. The European Centre for minority Issues Kosovo has stated that:

The total census number for Turks (18,738) is somewhat lower than that of previous estimates. To give an example, in Lipjan/Lipljan, the figure of Turks decreases from 400-500 to 128. However, in the 2010 general elections, the Turkish political parties KDTP and KTB received together a total of 207 votes. Although members from other communities sometimes vote for Turkish parties and other issues need to be taken into account, this figure suggests that for this municipality the census figure may not be representative and that further analysis is needed.

Areas of settlement

The Turkish minority of Kosovo have a majority population in Mamuša. However, the largest Turkish population in Kosovo live in Prizren and in the neighbouring villages. They constitute roughly 5% of Prizren's population, and the town remains the historical, cultural and political centre of the Kosovan Turkish community. In the Gnjilane municipality, the Turkish community resides mostly in the town of Gnjilane and in the villages of Livoç i Epërm/Gornji Livoč and Dobërçan/Dobrčane, constituting between 0.9-1.1% of the total population of the municipality. Kosovan Turks living in Kosovska Mitrovica amount to roughly 1.5% of its total population; in the southern part of the town, Kosovan Turks live scattered in the city, while those who live in northern region reside in the "Bosniak Mahalla" neighbourhood. In Vučitrn Turks constitute about 0.9% of the total population, and live scattered throughout the urban areas. In the Pristina region, they are concentrated in the urban areas of the city, and constitute roughly 0.4% of the total municipal population, and in the rural settlements of Janjevo and Banullë/Bandulić in the Lipljan municipality, where they amount to 0.5% of the population.

Turkish population in Kosovo according to the 2011 census (Turkish majority in bold):

Municipality	Turks (2011 Census)	% Turkish
Prizren	9,091	5.11%
Mamuša	5,128	93.11%
Pristina	2,156	1.08%
Gjilan	978	1.08%
Mitrovicë	518	0.72%
Vushtrri	278	0.39%
Dragash	202	0.59%
Lipjan	128	0.22%
Fushë Kosovë	62	%
Pejë	59	%
Ferizaj	55	%
Gjakovë	16	%
Gračanica	15	%
Istog	10	%
Novobërdë	7	%
Gllogoc	5	%
Kamenicë	5	%
Podujevë	5	%
Suharekë	4	%
Viti	4	%
Klinë	3	%
Kaçanik	2	%
Obiliq	2	%
Rahovec	2	%
Klokot	1	%
Skenderaj	1	%
Shtime	1	%
Kosovo total	18,738	1.1%

Politics

There are three Turkish political parties in Kosovo:

• Turkish Public Front- under the leadership of Sezai Saipi
• Turkish Democratic Union- under the leadership of Erhan Köroğlu, centred in Pristina
• Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo (KTDP)- under the leadership of Mahir Yağcılar, centred in Prizren (the only registered Turkish party of Kosovo)

Notable Kosovo Turks

• Yemişçi Hasan Pasha
• Sultanzade Mehmed Pasha
• Fahrettin Durak
• Soner Özbilen
• Mustafa Presheva
• Naci Şensoy
• Güner Ureya
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy

Ottoman architecture

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  Ottoman mosque, Prizren.

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  An Ottoman mosque in Prizren.

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  Prizren.

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  League of Prizren building in Prizren.

See also the Mosque of Muderis Ali Efendi

See also

• Turkish minorities in the former Ottoman Empire
  • Turks in Serbia
  • Turks in the Balkans
• Mamuša
• Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo
• Kosovo–Turkey relations

Bibliography

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