ROMA IN TURKEYROMA IN TURKEY

European policy and practice towards ethnic minoritiesÖzlem Alioğlu

Öznur KüçükerVolkan Şeysane

““Çingene bizzat bahardır”Çingene bizzat bahardır”(Tchingene are the spring themselves)

Ahmet Haşim(1885-1933)

A famous Turkish poet

Before the ReBefore the Repubpubliclic The System of Ottoman Empire

“MILLET SYSTEM” (or Millet Theory)Generally, Ottoman Empire Community was divided into 2 categories on religious basis. According to the Millet Theory:

• Muslim Community – “Müslim”: Arabs,Turks, Kurds, Caucasians, Iranians and others

• Non-muslim Community- “Gayr-i Müslim”: Armenians, Orthodox, Catholics and Jewishs

• Romani Community which stayed in Balkans had their autonomous administration as well. “Kıpti Milleti (Kıpti Community)”

After The RepublicAfter The Republic-1923-1923• Article 66 of the Turkish

Constitution: “Everyone bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship is a Turk.”

• 3 officially recognized ethnic minorities in Laussane Treaty: Orthodox Greeks, Armenians, Jewishs

• Consequently, ethnic groups which are muslims but not originally Turkish did not have any cultural, linguistic and political rights untill the “EU” reform process in 2000s.

• So Romani Community is not recognized as an ethnic minority in Turkey officially.

Laussane System

Armenians

Jewishs

Orthodox Greeks

Who are “Tchingene”?Who are “Tchingene”? • Tchingene (Çingene in Turkish): Roma• Indo-European origins • No commonly accepted definition of who

Roma is • 3 origins of Roma: Kaldera, Gitano and

Manushs.• The Roma in Turkey :“Kaldera” clan • Most of the Roma came to Turkey from

Balkans over Greece and Bulgaria during the World War I.

Number of population• The estimated number of population of

Tchingene: • In the world: 3-4 millions • In Turkey: 500.000 but according to the

NGOs’ statistics: around 1.000.000

Habitation• They reside not only in the biggest cities of

Turkey but also in rural areas.

PLAN

I) The social situation of Roma

II) The cultural situation of Roma

III) The economic situation of Roma

I) The social situation of Roma– Housing:A common life but not really ghettoMain problem:The project of urban

development

– Political RepresentationNo political Romani partyNo active participation in political sceneBut a Romani Prime Minister: PhDr. Nihat

Erim

– NGOs“Romani Solidarity and Public Spirit

Association”(1996)Good effects of EU process: associations

– Education80%: Primary school30%: illiterate

II) The cultural situation of Roma• Religion:

Islam

• Language:

Turkish but with a special accent

• Music

Some famous Gypsy instruments: Darbuka, saz

Famous belly-dances, paticularly in Sulukule

Specific music and dances: “Roman Havası”

• Traditions

Some rites in the rituals of blessing, wedding, and burial

Cheerful people who like colorful clothes, golden jeweleries and flowers

• Problems:

Problem of “integration”: Sometimes an isolated population

• However...

Gypsy traditions: an important part of the Turkish culture

Some TV series based on Gypsy lifestyle: (ex: Cennet mahallesi)

Some songs about Gypsies

Gypsy traditions, dances and music in Turkish traditional weddings

III) The economic situation of Roma

Occupation:Low-level workers(carpenter, florist,hawker,etc.)

56.9%Worker (public-private) 7.7 %Officials

2.2%Retiree

22.2%House-wife 23.2%

The main economic problems are:• Unemployment• Illegal working (working without insurance) • Lack of the marketable skills necessary to find jobs

among the Roma in Turkey.

• By participating in culture-turism in Turkey, Romani integration into the society is improving day by day.

Some famous Roma...

It is possible to meet well-integrated It is possible to meet well-integrated Roma in Turkey. Is there a similar Roma in Turkey. Is there a similar

example in the other countries in the example in the other countries in the world? Is there another country except world? Is there another country except

Turkey which had a Romani Prime Turkey which had a Romani Prime

Minister?Minister?

Resources

• “Turkish Authorities Destroy Romani Neighbourhoods for Urban Development” http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2702&archiv=1

• “Issues Brief: Roma Rights in Turkey” http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2254&archiv=1

• Kolukırık, Suat, “Romani People in Workin Life” http://www.cingene.org

• Oran, Baskın, Minorities in Turkey, Istanbul, TESEV, 2004.

• http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%87ingene