Turkish Yoruks from the Balkans

[Azalea]

These pictures are mostly from Macedonia.

Yoruks in Europe

The Yorouks, also Yuruks or Yörüks (Greek: Γιουρούκοι, Bulgarian: юруци, Macedonian: Јуруци, Turkish: Yörük) are immigrants, ultimately of Oghuz descent, some of whom are still nomadic, primarily inhabiting the mountains of Anatolia and partly Balkan peninsula. Their name derives from the Turkish verb yürü- (yürümek in infinitive), which means "to walk", with the word yorouk or Yuruk designating "those who walk, walkers".[1][2]

Main areas inhabited by Yorouk tribes in Anatolia today[citation needed]
The Yorouk to this day appear as a distinct segment of the population of Macedonia and Thrace where they settled as early as the 14th century.[3] While today the Yoruk are increasingly settled, many of them still maintain their nomadic lifestyle, breeding goats and sheep in the Šar Mountains (Kosovo), the Pirin and Rhodope Mountains (Bulgaria) and Dobrudja.[citation needed] An earlier offshoot of the Yörüks, the Kailar or Kayılar Turks were amongst the first settlements in Europe,[3] The Yorouks are credited with the conversion to Islam in the 18th century, after a period of cohabitation, of a part of the native Meglen Vlachs of Greece[citation needed] who in 1923 were expelled to Turkey under the terms of the population exchange between the two countries

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorouks

[Azalea]

Unfortunately, a lot of these rural Turks in the Balkans still live a very backwarded life. Here is a trailer from a film about a rural Turkish-Yoruk girl in Macedonia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsF9e9oL3Yk

More pictures:

[Hurrem sultana]

very interesting

but did they mix with the locals,or they look like this in turkey too?

[Azalea]

very interesting

but did they mix with the locals,or they look like this in turkey too?

Most of these people have local origin - like the Turks in Turkey. Yoruks (which is just another word for Turkish nomad) moved to the Balkans hundreds of years ago and mixed and assimilated the locals. But Yoruks in Turkey can be very fair complexed too. I was first planning to make a thread about all Turkish Yoruks but since this is a forum for 'Europeans' ( ) I decided to make one only about the ones in Europe. But I'll post some pictures of Turkish yoruks later (I am also one btw).

[пустиняк]

Good part of them looks Pomak

[Azalea]

Good part of them looks Pomak

They probably have some Pomak ancestry too. But Pomaks have different culture (clothing, music etc.).

[пустиняк]

They probably have some Pomak ancestry too. But Pomaks have different culture (clothing, music etc.).

Language mostly

[beaver]

Mordi, это галимый русский _ я даю 100;

[Azalea]

Guys please, English only.

More pictures of Macedonian Yoruks:

[Treffie]

Overall I think they look Pontid