Is there a black community in Turkey?
Actually there is a black community in Turkey. Here are the locations I am aware of: -a small concentration in Ayvalik – Mersin -Adana -Kahramanmaras These are communities that have settled down in cities after the slave trade. You can also find smaller communities consisting of immigrants from African countries in Istanbul and Bursa.
It is not a “community” per se. They are not seperate, living seperately, having a distinct culture different than the mainstream one. There are people with darker skin, mixed with others for centuries. I say darker instead of black, because they really are lighter than their forefathers. These black people are the remnants of the slaves brought from Africa during Ottoman times. They were set free when the Ottomans fell and the republic was founded, along with other court members. There are also new immigrants, who have come with the dream of a better future. This community hasn’t mixed in and adjusted, yet, but according to a documentary I watched, once they settle down, they find work and learn the language and want to stay. I look forward to the day when our children in classrooms will be all colours of the rainbow of the human species.
