The Turks of Romania are often referred to as the Osmanlis, the Rumelian Turk, and the Balkan Turk, (Rumelia means "land of the Romans" and refers to the Balkan Mountains). They are the descendants of the Ottoman Turks who migrated from their central Asian homeland, conquered Anatolia (modern day Turkey), and eventually established the Ottoman Empire.

At its peak, the Ottoman Empire encompassed the Balkan Mountains, Arabia, and North Africa. At one time, the empire also threatened to take over Vienna. Romania was part of the Ottoman Empire for more than 300 years, until the country gained its independence in the 1860's.

Religious freedom was guaranteed to all citizens under the Communist Romanian Constitution, but in practice, religion was not encouraged and clergy were restricted and often hindered in their duties. Religious education was discouraged and, in some cases, totally banned.

What are their lives like?
During the long Ottoman Empire reign, Rumelian Turks often settled in Balkan towns and served as military personnel or administrators, or worked as craftsmen. During the late eighteenth century, many Crimean Tatars and Circassians from the Caucasus migrated to the Dobruja region, where they were given land by the Ottoman government. The immigrants formed farming villages, adopted the Turkish language and religion, and intermingled with the Rumelian Turk. These Dobruja Rumelian Turk are still a distinctive cultural entity. However, religious, linguistic, and social differences prevented Rumelian Turks from intermarrying with the local populations in large numbers. When they did intermarry, Turkish men usually married Muslim, non-Turkish women. Under Communist rule, the Muslim minority was governed by a Mufti (Muslim leader), whose seat was at Constanta, the capital of the Dobruja region.

Many Turks left the Balkans after Yugoslavia, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania became independent countries in the nineteenth century. After World War II, about 200,000 Turks from Bulgaria and Romania were relocated in Turkey. Today, no more than 1.5 million Rumelian Turk remain in Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Many of the estimated 5.5 million Rumelian Turk who returned to Turkey were given land. Local people call the Rumelian Turk settlements "immigrant villages." The Dobruja Turk who migrated to Turkey have been assimilated in large numbers into the Turkish professional classes and serve in various government organizations.

Lamb, a favorite meat of the Turk, is typically prepared as a pilaf (rice and oil cooked with small bits of meat). Turks relish sweets, and they are especially fond of Turkish delight (a gummy confection usually cut in cubes and dusted with sugar). The Muslim religion forbids drinking alcoholic beverages; instead, the Turk drink lots of strong coffee and yogurt.

What are their beliefs?
While the majority of Romanians are Christian (mostly Orthodox, but also Protestant and Roman Catholic), more than 99% of the Rumelian Turk in Romania are Hanafite Muslim. The Turk adhere to the five essential "pillars" or duties in Islam: (1) A Muslim must affirm that "there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet." (2) Five times a day he must pray while facing Mecca. (3) He must give alms generously. (4) He must fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year. (5) He must try to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in his lifetime.

What are their needs?
The Bible, the Jesus film, and Christian radio broadcasts are all available in Turkish. However, very few of the Rumelian Turk in Romania are known to have become Christians. No missions agency is currently working among the Turk in this region. These precious people desperately need committed workers who will show them Christ's love.

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth Christian laborers to live and work among the Rumelian Turk of Romania.
• Pray that God will raise up prayer teams to break up the soil through worship and intercession.
• Pray for effectiveness of the Jesus film among the Rumelian Turk.
• Ask God to anoint the Gospel as it goes forth via radio to the Rumelian Turk.
• Ask God to strengthen, encourage, and protect the small number of Rumelian Turk Christians.
• Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that are keeping the Rumelian Turk bound.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Rumelian Turk towards Christians so they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Rumelian Turk church for the glory of His name!

See also the following Groups:
The Rumelian Turk of Bosnia; The Rumelian Turk of Yugoslavia;
The Rumelian Turk of Bulgaria; and The Rumelian Turk of Greece.

THE PEOPLE

• People name: Rumelian Turk
• Country: Romania
• Their language: Turkce
• Population: (1990) 58,000
  (1995) 57,100
  (2000) 56,500
• Largest religion: Muslim (Hanafite) 99.9%
• Christians: <1%
• Church members: 17
• Scriptures in their own language: Bible
• Jesus Film in their own language: Available
• Christian broadcasts in their own language: Available
• Mission agencies working among this people: 0
• Persons who have heard the Gospel: 17,700 (31%) Those evangelized by local Christians: 1,700 (3%)
  Those evangelized from the outside: 16,000 (28%)
• Persons who have never heard the Gospel: 39,400 (69%)

• Country: Romania
• Population: (1990) 23,206,700
  (1995) 22,835,500
  (2000) 22,607,400
• Major peoples in size order: Romanian 80%
  Hungarian 11.9%
  Saxon 2.1%
  Romanian Gypsy 1.8%
  Kalderash Gypsy 1.1%
• Major religions: Christian 85.8%
  Nonreligious 8.5%
  Atheist 4.6%
• Number of denominations: 28