What is the meaning of Turkophone Greek?

Question

I am from Turkey.I came across this term,while I was reading an article about Caucassia,but I couln't find out what it means.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Before 1922 (when the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey took place), there lived in Turkey a minority group which spoke only turkish but defined itself as greek and christian orthodox. Even their icons, which are to be seen at the Bysantine Museum of Athens, have inscriptions in the turkish language. They have been called "Karamanli" as they were located in that erea. I have met such people in Greece, the oldest could barely speak some greek, their descendants ofcourse are just any other greek..
As for nowdays, there's not a formal refference or study about "turkophone" Greeks, on the contrary there still exist greek speaking (bilingual) Turks and Georgians at the cities of the Black Sea coasts.

Answer 2

You know that from ancient times Greeks have been indigenous to many places of modern Turkey (Asia Minor). They remained there and kept their Greek identity through the othoman period. In many places, however, much to the east, they stopped speaking Greek, because as you realize education in those years was sparse in secluded areas. So they were Greek, orthodox, but spoke turkish. They also wrote the Turkish they spoke with greek letters, it is called Karamanli writing.

Answer 3

Well Turkophone Greeks are people who have roots from Turkey live in Greece, but are musleems and keep their mother language that is turkish. A nice example is a village located at island Kos that is opposite Bodrum, called Platani or Kermetes where most villagers are turkish people that live there since thousand years, made families. I have many turkophone greek friends, who talk to me in greek but when they are with their families they keep the turkish tradition and of course communicate in turkish.

Answer 4

They were called "Karamanli (des)" and the spoke the turkish language but they were greek orthodox. Many of them were established in Thraki, mainly the villages arround Xanthi.

Answer 5

I think Leonarda's answer is right

Turkophonoi are those people that have turkish as their native language. But they dont have to be of turkish origin

and what you read about Caucasia is right, their mother language is a mixure of russian and turkish


I am Greek too

:)

Answer 6

Turkophone, means turkish speaking persone...Ceratinly you havent reads turkophobe as the friend says above, listen to me, i am greek, i know better...

Answer 7

Do you mean TurkoPHOBE? It is someone who is afraid of the Turks.