ROMA IN TURKEY

1
ROMA IN TURKEY

• European policy and practice towards ethnic
  minorities
• Özlem Alioglu
• Öznur Küçüker
• Volkan Seysane

2
Çingene bizzat bahardir(Tchingene are the
spring themselves)Ahmet Hasim(1885-1933)A
famous Turkish poet
3
Before the Republic 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. Kipti
  Milleti (Kipti Community)

4
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.

5
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.

6
PLAN

• The social situation of Roma
• The cultural situation of Roma
• The economic situation of Roma

7
I) The social situation of Roma

• Housing
• A common life but not really ghetto
• Main problemThe 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

8
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 Havasi
• 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

9
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.

10
Some famous Roma...
11
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?
12
Resources

• Turkish Authorities Destroy Romani
  Neighbourhoods for Urban Development
  http//www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk2702archiv1
• Issues Brief Roma Rights in Turkey
  http//www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk2254archiv1
• Kolukirik, Suat, Romani People in Workin Life
  http//www.cingene.org
• Oran, Baskin, Minorities in Turkey, Istanbul,
  TESEV, 2004.
• http//tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/C387ingene