CONSTRUCTION OF ETHNIC IDENTITY ON THE BASIS OF LANGUAGE AND RELIGION: AN ANALYSIS ON GAGAUZ ETHNICITY

Abstract

Multi-religious-linguistic geography of residence, historical developments, political influence struggles between different states and non-uniform cultural distinctions make ethnic identities controversial. One of the identities in question belongs to the Gagauz. The fact that they use Turkish as ethnic language as opposed to the Orthodox communities and that they have adopted the Christianity unlike the Turkic ethnic communities that are generally Muslim makes this ethnic community remarkable in scientific terms. In this context, the inferences on the Gagauz identity are put forward through language and religion, which ultimately realize the cultural conveyance, construct the ethnic identity and ensure the ethnic continuity. This qualitative study based on primary and secondary sources aims to examine the Gagauz ethno genesis and ethnonym, the most fundamental indicators of the ethnic identity of the Gagauz, specifically from the aspect of language and religion. In line with the effort to introduce a more consistent study on the Gagauz ethnic identity, dimensions of ethnicity such as ethnic history, ethnic motherland and ethnic culture, which take up an important place also in other ethnic studies, were included as research object in this study.