Turks in the Balkans
The Balkan Turks refers to the Turkish people who have been living in the Balkans since the Ottoman rule as well as their descendants who still live in the region today. The Turks are officially recognized as a minority in Bosnia and Herzegovina, [1] Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, and Romania; in Greece the Turkish minority are recognized as "Greek Muslims". Furthermore, the Turkish language is a minority status in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, and Romania. The Ottoman Empire conquered parts of the Balkans between the 14th and 16th century. Turkish communities in the Balkans State or region Community Current status Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian Turks The 1991 Bosnian census showed that there was a minority of 267 Turks. [2] However current estimates suggest that there are actually 50,000 Turks living in the country. [3] Bulgaria Bulgarian Turks In the 2011 Bulgarian census, which did not receive a response regarding ethnicity by ...