11 Facts About Karamanlides

Karamanlides, known as Karamanli Greeks or simply Karamanlis, are a traditionally Turkish-speaking Greek Orthodox people native to the Karaman and Cappadocia regions of Anatolia.

Origins of the Karamanlides have long been disputed, there being two basic theories on the subject.

Greek scholars incline to the view that the Karamanlides were of Greek descent and adopted Turkish as their vernacular, either by force or as a result of their isolation from the Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians of the coastal regions.

Ottoman explorer Evliya Celebi, who visited the Karamanlides and experienced their lifestyle, wrote that they were of Turkish origin and their Turkish accent was no different than that of the local Muslim Turks.

The British historian Arnold J Toynbee considered the Karamanlides to be of Turkish descent; however, he emphasized that there was no definite answer to the question of their origins.

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German orientalist Franz Taeschner observed that the Karamanlides were completely Turkified, with the exception of their religion.

The British historian Edwin Pears, who lived in Turkey for approximately 40 years, wrote that the Karamanlides were originally Greeks, who had lost their native language and spoke Turkish.

Many Karamanlides were forced to leave their homes during the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey.

Stevan K Pavlowitch says that the Karamanlides were numbered at around 400,000 at the time of the exchange.

Distinct culture that developed among the Karamanlides blended elements of Orthodox Christianity with a Turkish-Anatolian culture that characterized their willingness to accept and immerse themselves in foreign customs.

Karamanlides authors were especially productive in philosophy, religious writings, novels, and historical texts.