Turks in Canada
Encyclopedia
Turks in Canada or Turkish Canadians are Turkish people
who have immigrated to Canada
. However, the term also refers to Canadian-born persons who have Turkish parents or who have a Turkish ancestral background. The Turkish community is largely made up of immigrants, or the descendants of immigrants, born in the Ottoman Empire
before 1923, in the Republic of Turkey since then, or in neighbouring countries once part of the Ottoman Empire
that still have a Turkish population including Turks from Bulgaria
, Cyprus
, Iraq
and the Republic of Macedonia
.
in small numbers from the Ottoman Empire
. However, significant migration initially began in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the Turkish government encouraged and financially supported student education abroad, in an effort to build a professional intelligentsia in Turkey
. Furthermore, there have been Turks fleeing from unrest and oppression from Bulgaria
and Cyprus
who have arrived in Canada as both political and economic refugees.
had between 300-400 Muslim
residents, equally divided between Turks and Syrian Arabs. By 1911, the size of the Muslim community had increased to about 1,500, of whom 1,000 were of Turkish origin and the remainder were Arabs. During the pre-World War I
period Turks were to be found in mining
and logging
camps across Canada. However, due to bad relations between the Ottoman Empire
and Europe
, further migration was made difficult for the Turks and the Canadian government discouraged “Asian
” immigration. Thus, by the onset of World War I
, Canada witnessed the return of many Turkish immigrants who were then classified as "enemy aliens". Another reason for the return-migration of Ottoman Turks was because for the majority of Turks, the founding of the new republic of Turkey
, in 1923, was a far greater incentive to stay at home than to immigrate. According to the 1921 Canadian census, there were 401 Turks resident in Canada
, while the 1931 census recorded 921 Turks. However, it is possible that this included Armenians
, Greeks
and Jews
who had also left the Ottoman Empire
.
encouraged and financially supported Turkish students to study in Canada. Thus, the early 1960s consisted primarily of students and professionals, especially doctors and engineers. Significant Turkish immigration began during the 1960s and 1970s; most Turks went to Canada for educational and economic opportunities. According to the 1972 Canada census there was 9,342 Turkish-born persons living in Canada. From 1973 onwards, a yearly average of 555 immigrants designated Turkey as their country of birth, slightly more than half of them males. Today engineers and doctors remain an influential part of the Turkish-Canadian community.
were fleeing from the unrest and oppression of the Bulgarian government; many have arrived in Canada as political and economic refugees.
started to leave Cyprus
for political reasons when the Greek Cypriots
held a referendum in which 95.7% of Greek Cypriots supported enosis
, the union of Cyprus with Greece
. By 1963, inter-ethnic fighting broke out in Cyprus
, with Turkish Cypriots
bearing the heavier cost in terms of casualties and some 25,000 Turkish Cypriots became internally displaced accounting to about a fifth of their population. Tension continued to grow by the late 1960s and approximately 60,000 Turkish Cypriots left their homes and moved into enclaves. This resulted in an exodus
of more Turkish Cypriots from the island, many migrating to Canada
. In 1983, Turkish Cypriots unilaterally proclaimed
the establishment of their own state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which has since remained internationally unrecognized except by Turkey. Since the division of the island, the Turkish Cypriot economy
has remained stagnant and undeveloped because of the economic embargoes
which have been imposed on the north. Turkish Cypriots are still forced to emigrate, as a result of unemployment, and economic, social and moral degradation. Furthermore, due to the 'Turkeyfication' policies administered in the north, Turkish Cypriots responses to such policies of nationalisation have been to leave the island and moved to Britain
, Australia
, and Canada
.
, there was 43,700 Turks living in Canada; the majority were concentrated in Toronto
(14,970), Montreal
(10,345), Vancouver
(3,380), Ottawa
(2,455), Hamilton
(1,590), Calgary
(1,305), and Edmonton
(1,250). However, the actual number of Turkish Canadians is believed to be considerably higher, as ethnic Turks have also immigrated to Canada via Bulgaria
, Cyprus
, and the Republic of Macedonia
. Statistics on Bulgarian Turks, Turkish Cypriots
, and Macedonian Turks present particular problems because it is unclear how many have immigrated to Canada; they are recorded by their citizenship (i.e. "Bulgarian", "Cypriot", and "Macedonian") rather than their ethnicity.
and secular backgrounds. Thus, religion remained an affair of the private conscience. However, later arrivals to Canada have brought with them their commitment to regular and significant participation in religious life, especially through the mosque
. In May 1983, the "Canadian Turkish Islamic Heritage Association" (Kanada Türk Islam Kültür Derneği) was established, followed by the "Canadian Turkish Islamic Trust" (Kanada Türk Islam Vakfi) in April 1987, both registered charities located in Toronto. The trust helps to support a mosque on Pape Street in Toronto, which caters to Turkish Muslims. The imam
(preacher) of the Islamic Heritage Association is appointed from Turkey
and serves his community as prayer leader and religious adviser. The association publishes a quarterly newsletter called Haber Bülteni (News Bulletin).
immigrants. The various associations across Canada
are now represented by an umbrella organization, the "Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations", founded in the mid-1980s. The federation serves as a referral and communications centre for news of Turkey
, local events, business and governmental inquiries, and intergroup relations. More recently, a similar Turkish Cypriot umbrella body, the "Federation of Turkish Cypriot Associations of Canada", was established, though cooperation with the Turkish federation remains close; the "Canadian Association for Solidarity of Turks from Bulgaria" also forms part of the federation. The aims of Turkish Canadians from Turkey proper and of those from outside Turkey often diverge, and this has led to the proliferation of interest groups.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
who have immigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. However, the term also refers to Canadian-born persons who have Turkish parents or who have a Turkish ancestral background. The Turkish community is largely made up of immigrants, or the descendants of immigrants, born in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
before 1923, in the Republic of Turkey since then, or in neighbouring countries once part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
that still have a Turkish population including Turks from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
History
Turks first began to immigrate to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in small numbers from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. However, significant migration initially began in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the Turkish government encouraged and financially supported student education abroad, in an effort to build a professional intelligentsia in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Furthermore, there have been Turks fleeing from unrest and oppression from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
who have arrived in Canada as both political and economic refugees.
Ottoman migration
In 1901, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
had between 300-400 Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
residents, equally divided between Turks and Syrian Arabs. By 1911, the size of the Muslim community had increased to about 1,500, of whom 1,000 were of Turkish origin and the remainder were Arabs. During the pre-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
period Turks were to be found in mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
camps across Canada. However, due to bad relations between the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, further migration was made difficult for the Turks and the Canadian government discouraged “Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
” immigration. Thus, by the onset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Canada witnessed the return of many Turkish immigrants who were then classified as "enemy aliens". Another reason for the return-migration of Ottoman Turks was because for the majority of Turks, the founding of the new republic of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, in 1923, was a far greater incentive to stay at home than to immigrate. According to the 1921 Canadian census, there were 401 Turks resident in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, while the 1931 census recorded 921 Turks. However, it is possible that this included Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
who had also left the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Mainland Turkish migration
In the late 1950s and early 1960s the government of TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
encouraged and financially supported Turkish students to study in Canada. Thus, the early 1960s consisted primarily of students and professionals, especially doctors and engineers. Significant Turkish immigration began during the 1960s and 1970s; most Turks went to Canada for educational and economic opportunities. According to the 1972 Canada census there was 9,342 Turkish-born persons living in Canada. From 1973 onwards, a yearly average of 555 immigrants designated Turkey as their country of birth, slightly more than half of them males. Today engineers and doctors remain an influential part of the Turkish-Canadian community.
Bulgarian Turks migration
In 1989, Turks in BulgariaTurks in Bulgaria
The Turks in Bulgaria number 588,318 people and constitute 8.8% of those who declared their ethnic group and 8.0% of the total population according to the 2011 Bulgarian census. 605,802 persons or 9.1% of the population pointed Turkish language as their mother tongue. They are also the largest...
were fleeing from the unrest and oppression of the Bulgarian government; many have arrived in Canada as political and economic refugees.
Turkish Cypriot migration
During the 1950s, Turkish CypriotsTurkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
started to leave Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
for political reasons when the Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
held a referendum in which 95.7% of Greek Cypriots supported enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
, the union of Cyprus with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. By 1963, inter-ethnic fighting broke out in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, with Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
bearing the heavier cost in terms of casualties and some 25,000 Turkish Cypriots became internally displaced accounting to about a fifth of their population. Tension continued to grow by the late 1960s and approximately 60,000 Turkish Cypriots left their homes and moved into enclaves. This resulted in an exodus
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
of more Turkish Cypriots from the island, many migrating to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 1983, Turkish Cypriots unilaterally proclaimed
Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Eight years after the Turkish Federative State of North Cyprus was proclaimed , the UDI of North Cyprus was presented to the Northern Cypriot Parliament in North Nicosia by Turkish Cypriot Leader/Northern Cypriot State President Rauf Denktaş on November 15, 1983...
the establishment of their own state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which has since remained internationally unrecognized except by Turkey. Since the division of the island, the Turkish Cypriot economy
Economy of Northern Cyprus
The economy of Northern Cyprus is dominated by the services sector , which includes the public sector, trade, tourism and education. Industry contributes 22% of GDP and agriculture 9%. The economy operates on a free-market basis, with a significant portion of administration costs funded by Turkey...
has remained stagnant and undeveloped because of the economic embargoes
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
which have been imposed on the north. Turkish Cypriots are still forced to emigrate, as a result of unemployment, and economic, social and moral degradation. Furthermore, due to the 'Turkeyfication' policies administered in the north, Turkish Cypriots responses to such policies of nationalisation have been to leave the island and moved to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 CensusCanada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, there was 43,700 Turks living in Canada; the majority were concentrated in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(14,970), Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(10,345), Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(3,380), Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(2,455), Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
(1,590), Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
(1,305), and Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
(1,250). However, the actual number of Turkish Canadians is believed to be considerably higher, as ethnic Turks have also immigrated to Canada via Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, and the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. Statistics on Bulgarian Turks, Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
, and Macedonian Turks present particular problems because it is unclear how many have immigrated to Canada; they are recorded by their citizenship (i.e. "Bulgarian", "Cypriot", and "Macedonian") rather than their ethnicity.
Turkish settlement
| Rank | Provinces/Territories Provinces and territories of Canada The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories... | Population (2001 census) | Population (2006 census) | Percentage increase/decrease |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14,580 | 23,425 | > 62% | |
| 2 | 5,680 | 11,390 | > 49.8% | |
| 3 | 2,395 | 4,250 | > 56.35% | |
| 4 | 1,515 | 2,970 | > 51% | |
| 5 | 190 | 425 | > 44.7% | |
| 6 | 105 | 400 | > 26.25% | |
| 7 | 275 | 345 | > 79% | |
| 8 | 125 | 275 | > 45% | |
| 9 | 35 | 135 | > 25.9% | |
| 10 | 10 | 65 | > 15% | |
| 11 | 0 | 10 | ≠ 0% | |
| 12 | 0 (10 Multiple responses) | 0 | ≠ 0% | |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | ≠ 0% | |
| Total |  Canada |
24,910 | 43,700 | > 57% |
| (Source: 2001 & 2006 Canadian Census') | ||||
Religion
The vast majority of Turkish Canadians are Sunni Muslims, whilst the remaining people generally do not have any religious affiliation. Prior to 1980, Turkish Canadian immigrants were from urbanUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
and secular backgrounds. Thus, religion remained an affair of the private conscience. However, later arrivals to Canada have brought with them their commitment to regular and significant participation in religious life, especially through the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. In May 1983, the "Canadian Turkish Islamic Heritage Association" (Kanada Türk Islam Kültür Derneği) was established, followed by the "Canadian Turkish Islamic Trust" (Kanada Türk Islam Vakfi) in April 1987, both registered charities located in Toronto. The trust helps to support a mosque on Pape Street in Toronto, which caters to Turkish Muslims. The imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
(preacher) of the Islamic Heritage Association is appointed from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and serves his community as prayer leader and religious adviser. The association publishes a quarterly newsletter called Haber Bülteni (News Bulletin).
Turkish newspapers
Organizations and associations
Since the 1960s, a wide range of community organizations has appeared, representing various groups of TurkishTurkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
immigrants. The various associations across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
are now represented by an umbrella organization, the "Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations", founded in the mid-1980s. The federation serves as a referral and communications centre for news of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, local events, business and governmental inquiries, and intergroup relations. More recently, a similar Turkish Cypriot umbrella body, the "Federation of Turkish Cypriot Associations of Canada", was established, though cooperation with the Turkish federation remains close; the "Canadian Association for Solidarity of Turks from Bulgaria" also forms part of the federation. The aims of Turkish Canadians from Turkey proper and of those from outside Turkey often diverge, and this has led to the proliferation of interest groups.
- Canadian Alevi Culture Centre
- The Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations
- The Association of Canadian Turkish Cypriots
- The Canadian Association for Solidarity of Turks from Bulgaria
- Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre
- The Canadian Turkish Cultural Association of Hamilton
- The Canadian Turkish Film Society
- Canadian Turkish Friendship Community
- Council of Turkish Canadians
- Turkish Canadian Cultural Association
- The Turkish Canadian Association of London
- Turkish Canadian Chamber of Commerce
- Turkish Canadian Society
- The Turkish Community Heritage Centre of Canada
- Turkish Society of Canada
- The United Canadian Muslim Association
- The United Canadian Turkish Cultural Association
See also
- Canada–Turkey relationsCanada–Turkey relationsCanadian–Turkish relations are foreign relations between Canada and Turkey. Canada has an embassy in Ankara. Turkey has an embassy in Ottawa...
- Canadians in TurkeyCanadians in TurkeyThere are over 1,100 Canadians living in Turkey, the majority of which are based in Ankara and Istanbul according to the Registration of Canadians Abroad and the local Canadian embassy and consulates in the country...
- Embassy of Turkey in OttawaEmbassy of Turkey in OttawaThe Embassy of the Turkey in Ottawa is Turkey's diplomatic mission to Canada. It is housed in a sprawling Tudor style manor located at 197 Wurtemburg Street overlooking the Rideau River. The building was built by Fisheries Commissioner William F. Whitcher in about 1869. In 1888 it was expanded and...