Transcript GYPSIES IN TURKEY

ROMA IN TURKEY
European policy and practice towards ethnic minorities
Özlem Alioğlu
Öznur Küçüker
Volkan Şeysane
“Çingene bizzat bahardır”
(Tchingene are the spring themselves)
Ahmet Haşim
(1885-1933)
A famous Turkish poet
Before the Republic
The System of Ottoman Empire
“MILLET SYSTEM” (or Millet Theory)
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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 Republic-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”?
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Tchingene (Çingene in Turkish): Roma
Indo-European origins
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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.
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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 ghetto
Main problem:The project of urban
development
– Political Representation
No political Romani party
No active participation in political scene
But a Romani Prime Minister: PhDr. Nihat
Erim
– NGOs
“Romani Solidarity and Public Spirit
Association”(1996)
Good effects of EU process: associations
– Education
80%: Primary school
30%: illiterate
II) The cultural situation of Roma
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Religion:
Islam
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Language:
Turkish but with a special accent
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Music
Some famous Gypsy instruments: Darbuka, saz
Famous belly-dances, paticularly in Sulukule
Specific music and dances: “Roman Havası”
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Traditions
Some rites in the rituals of blessing, wedding, and burial
Cheerful people who like colorful clothes, golden
jeweleries and flowers
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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.)
Worker (public-private)
Officials
Retiree
House-wife
56.9%
7.7 %
2.2%
22.2%
23.2%
The main economic problems are:
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Unemployment
• Illegal working (working without insurance)
• Lack of the marketable skills necessary to find jobs
among the Roma in Turkey.
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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
Roma in Turkey. Is there a similar
example in the other countries in the
world? Is there another country except
Turkey which had a Romani Prime
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