Bergtürken

Bergtürken

German

Etymology

Berg (“mountain”) +‎ Türken (“turks”).

• The term was previously associated with Albanians during Ottoman era. Muslim Albanians (and other muslims with non-turkish ancestry) were considered as the same as Osmanen (“Ottomans”)/Türken (“Turks”) (due to common religion, not ancestry). Thus also the derogatory term Turkalbaner (“Turco-Albanian”) - which was a translation of the Greek term Τουρκαλβανός (Tourkalvanós, “Turco-Albanian”).[1][2]
• Later on the turkish term Dağ Türkleri (“mountain turks”) was translated for german literature (about topics Kurds and kurdish history). The term Bergtürken is today almost exclusively associated with Kurds (except in german literature about Albanians and their struggle to independence, where 'Bergtürken' still occurs).

Noun

Bergtürken f (genitive Bergtürken, plural Bergtürken)

1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (derogatory) offensive term refering to Albanians

   (the term was used by German chancellor Otto von Bismarck back in 1878 (June 10), three days before the Berlin Congress, he denied the existence of an ethnic Albanian group / Albanian nation)[3][4]

2. (derogatory) translation of Turkish term Dağ Türkleri (“mountain turks”), an offensive term refering to Kurds

   (after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk established a Turkish nation state in 1923 he recognized only a Turk identity and the kurdish minority were simply renamed as "mountain turks" (Dağ Türkleri, denying the existence of ethnic Kurds in Turkey))[5][6]

See also

• Albaner, Albanien
• Albanophobie, Anti-Albanismus
• Kurden, Kurdistan

References

1. The Muslim Minority of Greek Thrace- Vemund Aarbakke Volume I, University of Bergen, Year: 2000, Page: 48
2. - Nikolaou Chidiroglou Symvolē stēn Hellēnikē Tourkologia‎ (in German), Athēna: Hērodotos, 1990, →ISBN, page 127:

   Hiermit nicht zu verwechseln sind die zusammengesetzen Volksnamen, die sich auf Herkunft oder Religion beziehen, wie z.B. Τουρκαλβανός (Turkalbaner), Τουρκοκρήτες (Turkkreter), Τουρκοκύπριοι (Turkzyprioten). [Hereby does not to be confused the composite national name, they were referred to by origin or religion, such as Τουρκαλβανός (Turco-Albanian) Τουρκοκρήτες (Turco-Cretans), Τουρκοκύπριοι (Turko-Cypriots).]"

3. Spiegel article Die Stämme da unten (Engl. 'The tribes down there') - written by Roland Schleicher, 12.04.1999 / Transl.: On June 10, 1878, just three days before the start of the Berlin Congress, the Albanians proclaimed the "League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian People" in Prizren, the second most important city in Kosovo. But Bismarck refused to receive these "mountain turks" at all, he knew no Albanian nation.
4. Ethnischer Nationalismus und ethnische Minderheiten (Ethnic Nationalism and ethnic Minorities) - by Georg Feyrer (Autor), 1999 / Translation: At the end of the Wars of Liberation, in the late 19th century, the Serbs conquered large parts of Albanian territory and committed massacres on the muslim population. The Albanian resistance cannot receive attention and support at the international level, quite the opposite, the Albanians are not even accorded the status of their own people. In this context, the German Chancellor Bismarck speaks derogatory of 'Bergtürken' (German for 'mountain Turks')
5. Bergtürken oder Kurden?: das Kurdenproblem in der Türkei (Engl.: Mountain Turks or Kurds?: the kurdish problem in Turkey)- by Hugo Walser, German Orient Institution, Year: 1983
6. Türkei verstehen: Von Atatürk bis Erdogan (Engl.: Understanding Turkey: From Ataturk till Erdogan) - by Gerhard Schweizer, Klett-Cotta, 2016 (Sep 24)