Turks make up an ethnic group descended from nomads of central Asia. They speak Turkish, one of several Turkic languages. Turks are closely related to the Azerbaijanis, Iranians, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Uzbeks, and other Turkic-speaking peoples of central Asia. The majority of Turks live in the Republic of Turkey. Ethnic Turks account for about four-fifths of Turkey’s population. Sizable Turkish communities also exist in southeastern and western Europe, especially in Germany, and in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Most Turks are Sunni Muslims (followers of Islam).
The Turks have had an important history. Their ancestors, who included the Huns, migrated westward from central Asia. The Huns conquered much of Europe during the A.D. 400’s. The Seljuk Turks had taken much of the Middle East, including Persia (now Iran) and most of Asia Minor (now part of Turkey), by the 1100’s. The Ottoman Turks rose to prominence in the northwestern corner of Asia Minor in the 1200’s. By the 1500s, the Ottomans controlled most of the Middle East, northern Africa, and southeastern Europe, establishing a large and powerful empire. The Ottomans were defeated in World War I (1914-1918). After World War I, Turks waged a successful war of independence against Greek and other occupying forces in Asia Minor. They founded the Turkish Republic in 1923.
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See also Ottoman Empire ; Seljuks ; Turkey (People) .
