Turkey: Information on whether the Alevi Tatars are involved with the Kurds and the PKK
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR15951.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Information on whether the Alevi Tatars are involved with the Kurds and the PKK, 1 December 1993, TUR15951.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad364c.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Some of the sources consulted place the Tatars in southeastern Turkey, the home region of the Kurds and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). However, none of the sources indicates that there is any kind of alliance between the PKK and Alevi Tatars.
About 85 per cent of the Turkish population (50 million) is ethnic Turkish, the rest being Kurds, Arabs, Slavs, Bulgars, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Gypsies, Circassians, Georgians and others (World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties 1987, 1136). While Encyclopedia of the Third World corroborates this information on the ethnic composition of Turkey, it adds that Crimean Tatars are included among Asian Turks (1992, 1972). The Kurds, with a population of about seven million, are the most important Muslim minority in Turkey (ibid.). Two-thirds of Kurds are Sunni Muslims, while one-third are Shiite or Alevi (ibid.). This information is corroborated by World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties (1987, 1136-1137).
An article in the 25 November 1993 issue of The Daily Telegraph states that the government was enlisting the support of tribal leaders in its battle with the "separatist" PKK. According to the source, one of the enlisted tribes was the Tatars, who live in the mainly Kurdish southeast, and that because of their feudal land ownership system, tribal leaders wield considerable influence in the Tatar community (ibid.).
The United Press International (UPI), in its release of 4 May 1992, reports that several thousand Crimean Tatars live in the central Turkish province of Eskisehir. The same source notes that since 1980, Crimean Tatars who moved to Turkey during and after the Second World War have demanded the right to return to the Crimea (ibid.). In an article in its 2 April 1992 issue, The Ottawa Citizen notes that about five million Crimean Tatars live in Turkey, but Moscow News puts the number at about three million (18 Mar. 1992).
According to an official of the Embassy of Turkey in Ottawa, the Tatars are a small ethnic group numbering between 200,000 and 300,000 (16 Dec. 1993). The source states that the Tatars, who are 99 per cent Sunni Muslim, are commonly found in Istanbul and Ankara (ibid.). For more information on the Crimean Tatars, that might provide an insight into Tatars in Turkey, please refer to the attachments.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
The Daily Telegraph [London]. 25 November 1993. "Tribal Kurds Join Ankara in PKK Fight." (NEXIS)
Encyclopedia of the Third World. 1992. 4th ed. Vol. 3. Edited by George Thomas Kurian. New York: Facts on File Publications.
The Ottawa Citizen. 2 April 1992. Final Edition. Lubomyr Luciuk. "Fight for Crimea Shows Russia's True Nature." (NEXIS)
Moscow News. 18 March 1992. Vladimir Ruban. "Opening the Door to Europe." (NEXIS)
Embassy of Turkey, Ottawa. 16 December 1993. Telephone interview with official.
The United Press International (UPI). 4 May 1992. BC Cycle. Seva Ulman. "Kravchuk Agrees to Allow Crimean Tartars to Return Home." (NEXIS)
World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties. 1987. Vol. 2. Edited by George E. Delury. New York: Facts on File Publications.
Attachments
The Daily Telegraph [London]. 25 November 1993. "Tribal Kurds Join Ankara in PKK Fight." (NEXIS)
Encyclopedia of the Third World. 1992. 4th ed. Vol. 3. Edited by George Thomas Kurian. New York: Facts on File Publications.
The Ottawa Citizen. 2 April 1992. Final Edition. Lubomyr Luciuk. "Fight for Crimea Shows Russia's True Nature." (NEXIS)
Moscow News. 18 March 1992. Vladimir Ruban. "Opening the Door to Europe." (NEXIS)
The United Press International (UPI). 4 May 1992. BC Cycle. Seva Ulman. "Kravchuk Agrees to Allow Crimean Tartars to Return Home." (NEXIS)
World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties. 1987. Vol. 2. Edited by George E. Delury. New York: Facts on File Publications.
