The Diluted Turkish Identity.

Simply put, by using such classifications, the ethnic identification of the Turks is being diluted. And in the place of a "Turk", we now have "Turk like", "possibly a Turk", "could be a Turk", or "most likely a Turk" type of people. What’s even more alarming is that the people who "fall" in these separate classifications are slowly excepting the identity chosen for them by others.

Within themselves, the Turks have always had different tribal affiliations knowns as "boylar". For example, the Turks of Turkey are from the Oguz Boyu. These classifications were given from within Turkish society and were used only to identify political allegiances, not ethnicity or race. But, throughout history Turks have been named Ghuzz, Cuman, Khazar, Pecheneg, Scynth, Ghaznavid, Kipchak, or etc, by who ever they encountered in the western world. Because of this technicality, Turks have lost a great deal of their identity and history.

Usage and acceptance of such third-party classifications of our ehtnic background is not only insult to our proud heritage, but also a form of ethnic cleansing. The dilution of Turkish heritage can only benefit those who wish to exercise power over the Turks from the outside and wish to assimilate the Turks. We can not repeat history and lose more Turks and Turkish heritage to technicalities.

All Turks should work to correct this problem by not using such classifications within and by urging and educating the members of the foreign and domestic press that this is a form ethnic cleansing and deliberate divisiveness.

Oguz
Baltimore, MD

"What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
William Shakespeare