Accurate knowledge of religion in Turkey is very useful and vital for those seeking residency in this country. Islam is the largest religion in Turkey, this statistic also includes children whose parents are Muslims, so their children are automatically considered Muslims. After Islam, Christianity has the most followers among the Turks. The Muslims living in Turkey are mostly Sunnis, with the Hanafis being the largest group and mostly living in central and western Turkey. Low population of
Shafi’i Muslims in the eastern regions of Turkey Are settled and mostly Kurdish; The number of followers of other Sunni religions in Turkey is very small. The country’s Shiite population is about 25 million, most of whom live in the eastern and central parts of the country, such as the city of Kars.
According to the latest statistics in 2020, the distribution of religions in Turkey is as follows:
Turkey is a secular country according to Article 24 of its constitution. Secularism in Turkey stems from the six principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk:
- Republicanism
- Populism
- secularism
- reformist
- nationalism
- Governmentalism
The Turkish government imposes some restrictions on Muslims and other religious groups, as well as Muslim religious expressions in government offices and institutions, including Turkish universities.
Islam is the largest religion in Turkey
Islam is a religion with the largest community of followers in Turkey, so that about 70% of Turks belong to the Sunni branch of Islam and are mainly followers of the Hanafi sect. More than 20% of the Turkish population believe in the Shiite and Alawite religions, which many think is a kind of Shiite sect, but which has common roots with Ishikism and Yazdanism. A small community called Bektashi also belongs to the Islamic Sufi sect, which is native to Turkey but has many followers in the Balkan Peninsula in Europe.
Islam entered the region that includes present-day Turkey from the early 7th century, especially the eastern provinces of the country. The Hanafi school of Sunni Islam is mainly promoted by the government through the Center for Religious Affairs (popularly known as “Religion”). Religion was established in 1924 after the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate and controls all mosques and Muslim clerics. And it is officially the highest religious authority in the country.
To this day, thousands of historic mosques throughout the country are still operating. Prominent mosques built during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, including the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the Sulaymaniyah Mosque in Istanbul, the Salimiye Mosque in Edirne, the Yeşil Mosque in Bursa, the Aladdin and Rumi Mosques in Konya, and the Divarici Grand Mosque, are still the most important religious centers and attractions. Are Turkish tourism companies. The Alawites, who make up 15-20% of the population in Turkey, are mostly concentrated in the provinces of Tunisli, Malatya, Sivas, Corum and Kahranmaraş; Tunceli is the only province in Turkey with an Alawite majority, with about 20% of Turkey’s Alawites being eastern Kurds.
Christianity and Judaism in Turkey
Christianity in Turkey has a long history dating back to the 1st century AD; In modern times, the percentage of Christians in Turkey has decreased from 20-25% in 1914 to 5.3% in 1927 and to 0.4% in 2020. This was due to events that had a significant impact on the population structure of the country, such as World War I, the wars of the Syrians, Assyrians, Greeks, Armenians and Chaldeans, which led to the exchange of population between Greece and Turkey and the migration of Christians. Such as the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Armenians, etc.) accelerated foreign countries (mostly Europe and America), which actually began in the late nineteenth century.
Today there are more than 200,000 to 320,000 people from different Christian denominations, which make up approximately 0.3-0.4% of the Turkish population. There is also a small group of ethnic Orthodox-Christian Turks (mostly living in Istanbul or Izmir) who follow the Greek Orthodox or Syriac Orthodox Church. In addition, there are Protestant Turks living in the country who are not yet concerned with the social and historical acceptance of the churches. The population of Turkish Protestants is about 7000-8000 people. As of 2009, there were 236 churches in Turkey, the number of which has remained almost constant to this day. The history of the Jews in the history of Turkey dates back to 2400 years ago, when the Jews lived in present-day Turkey. Jewish communities have existed in Anatolia since at least the 5th century BC, and many Spanish and Portuguese Jews expelled from Spain by the Alhambra ruled in Turkey in the late 15th century with the welcome of the Ottoman Empire.
Secularism in Turkey
Turkey has a secular constitution, without any official state religion. During the twentieth century, the country developed a strong secularist tradition similar to the French model, but the main difference between the two is that the Turkish government openly and openly controls Islam through the administration of its own religious affairs. The constitution recognizes freedom of religion for individuals, while religious communities are state-sponsored and controlled and cannot engage in political processes (such as forming a religious party) or establish religious schools. No political party can claim to represent a particular religious belief. However, religious sensitivities are generally expressed through conservative parties. But these laws were amended with the advent of the new Islamist government in Turkey and the right to any kind of cover was recognized.
Experts and immigration lawyers of Holding (4K Group) are proud to provide the best consulting services to our dear compatriots, relying on their legal and immigration knowledge as well as their valuable experiences of many years.
