Turks today are known to inhabit Turkey. But few know that the peoples of central Asia, Iran, Central Asia, Western China, Mongolia, Hungary, Finland, and Russia all have links to the original Turks. Today estimations insist that there are some 135 million Turkic people living throughout the world. It is also estimated that only around 40 percent of Turkic peoples living in Turkey. The word “Turk” derives from a Mandarin character Tu-Kiu. Tu-Kiu means “strong” or “forceful”. It was believed that the original Turkic peoples of Mongolia descended from wolves. With the great wall of China being used to expel them and to keep Ancient China protected from these “Wolves”. It was also rumored that a great grey wolf guided and led the first original Turkic peoples form their homelands in Central Asia into Anatolia. Or Turkey, where they are commonly associated with today.[1]
The “original” Turks originated form the Atlai Mountains in Mongolia. These original Turks also spoke a Rual-Atlaic language like various other languages. Some of these languages include Mongolian, Hungarian, Korean, and Finnish. When one consults a map of Europe, especially one with language families, it is easy to note that Hungry and Finland stick out. This helps explain that these people were not originally entirely European and may have in fact originated from Eurasia. Other Turkish peoples include Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Kazakhs, Mongols, Tartars, Uighars, Azeris, and Yakuts. Turkick people are known for their unique text and language. It cannot be genetically narrowed down to one tribe or people, but the general consensus on language and writing allows the Turkic people to share a common characteristic.[2]
Caption-Spread of Genetic Turkic Peoples.[3]
During the Mongol Conquests Turks began to migrate out of Eurasia and into Iran, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. After the Mongol Conquests Turks found themselves more stretched out inhabiting regions they were foreign to pre-conquest. [2]
Along the Silk Road Turks would move in caravans and finding employment as mercenaries and guards of many cities and trade points along the silk road. As time goes on many Turks were used by the Muslims to agitate the Byzantine Empire in Anatolia. As Turkish peoples accepted Islam the use on these soldiers in the middle east and Iran dramatically increased. So much so that Anatolia found itself becoming increasingly Turkish and less European/Aryan. Killing replacing and overthrowing the local groups in Modern Day Turkey despite being minority in the region. This snowballed into more and more Turks inhabiting Turkey and less “European” Christians finding themselves governing the region. This would create the environment for the Greeco-Turkish conflicts that are commonplace today. The Turkish people used the Silk Road as an opportunity for employment and political gain. So much so that they would find themselves thousands of miles away from their places of origin in newer and more prosperous areas of the middle east and Central Asia. Despite all of this happening very few credit the Turkic peoples and their interesting origin story. [2]
[1] This is the text of footnote one.
[2] This is the text of footnote two.
[3] This is the text of footnote three.