ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Turkish minorities in the former Ottoman Empire

Okay kiddo, let me explain to you about Turkish minorities in the former Ottoman Empire!

A long time ago, there was a big empire called the Ottoman Empire. This empire was made up of many different people from different parts of the world, including Europe and Asia. The people who lived in the Ottoman Empire were called Ottomans, and their ruler was called the Sultan.

One group of people who lived in the Ottoman Empire were the Turks. The Turks were originally from Central Asia, but they moved into what is now Turkey a long time ago. Many of them became Muslim and started to speak Turkish.

As the Ottoman Empire grew bigger, the Turks started to spread out into other parts of the empire. Some Turks moved into what is now Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. These Turks became minorities in these countries because they were living among people who spoke different languages and had different cultures.

The Turks who lived in these other parts of the Ottoman Empire were treated differently depending on where they lived. Sometimes they were given important positions in the government or in the military. Other times they were discriminated against and not given the same opportunities as other people.

When the Ottoman Empire fell apart after World War I, many of the Turkish minorities in the other countries moved back to Turkey. Some stayed behind and became part of the countries they were living in.

Today, there are still Turkish minorities in some of these countries, and sometimes they face discrimination. But Turkey works hard to protect the rights of these minorities and to make sure they are treated fairly.