What is Turkification?
Q: What is Turkification?
A: Turkification refers to the process of converting a culturally, linguistically, or ethnically non-Turkish area into a cultural, linguistic, or Turkish area.
Q: Was Turkification always voluntary or forced?
A: Turkification was sometimes voluntary and sometimes forced.
Q: What ethnic groups inhabited Turkey before the Turks arrived?
A: Before the arrival of the Turks, Turkey was home to many different ethnic groups, including Greeks, Kurds, Armenians, and many more.
Q: Were these ethnic groups subjected to cultural assimilation?
A: Yes, these ethnic groups had been subjected to centuries of cultural assimilation.
Q: Who subjected these ethnic groups to a second wave of Turkification?
A: Under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, these ethnic groups were subjected to a second wave of forced Turkification, this time targeting their languages.
Q: What explains the mixture of Western, Islamic, and Shamanistic cultures in Turkish culture?
A: Turkification partially explains why Turkish culture is a mixture of Western, Islamic, and Shamanistic cultures.
Q: Can you explain what is meant by Shamanistic culture?
A: Shamanistic culture is a belief system that revolves around the belief in the power of shamans to communicate with the spirit world and to heal people of illness and disease.
