Why Did Turks Change from Using Their Own Language to Speaking Turkish?

The transformation of language and identity among the Anatolian Turks is a complex historical process that spans several centuries and involves multiple factors. This article explores the key reasons why, despite initial policies that did not focus on Turkification, the Turkic language became dominant in the region.

The Seljuk Period (1078-1243)

The Seljuk Empire, which ruled Anatolia from 1078 to 1243, did not implement an active policy of Turkification towards their Christian subjects. This was largely because the Seljuks, as nomadic invaders, did not form the ethnic majority necessary to enforce their language and religion on others. Instead, the Seljuks encouraged Christian populations to repopulate the areas depopulated by Turkic raids throughout the 11th century.

Several developments emerged during the long-term Turkic occupation of former Roman lands:

Ethnic intermarriage was evident at all levels of society as early as the late 11th century. This led to the emergence of a new class of hybridized people, gradually increasing the number of Muslims. Local aristocracies and various Seljuk warlords formed coalitions through cooperation and trade activities, shifting their interests away from the Byzantine Empire and towards the Seljuks. Cultural exchanges led to a shared religious customs and a common language, particularly among the lower classes. The Turkic upper classes and military maintained their Islamic identity separate from the lower levels of society. The Seljuks centralized Anatolia, consolidating power and creating a more unified political structure. Medieval Roman institutions and the Orthodox Church declined, particularly from the early 13th century, due to continuous warfare and neglect by the Turkish authorities.

The Decline of Greek as the Primary Language (11th-13th Century)

By the 8th century, Anatolia was predominantly Greek-speaking, with the process being finalized during the Macedonian Renaissance in the 10th century. However, a clear ethnic identity was not established due to the multi-ethnic character of the region since ancient times. This complexity contributed to the infiltration and accommodation of the Turkic element and culture.

The boundaries of the Seljuk domains in 1095 reveal a patchwork of conflicting Turkic states under the theoretical overlordship of the Great Seljuks in Persia. By the 12th century, most Anatolians in western Asia Minor and coastal areas still spoke Greek due to the Komnenian revival, which restored Roman control in these regions. However, the situation began to change with the Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204 and the arrival of the Mongol horde.

The Rise of Turkish as a Dominant Language (13th-15th Century)

After the Byzantine reconquest of Constantinople in 1261, the decline of Byzantine institutions in western Anatolia led to the official abandonment of Christian education. The Mongol victory over the Seljuks of Rum in 1243 disrupted much of Anatolia and led to its vassalization. The Ilkhanate overlords, who were Turkic-speaking elites that practiced Islam due to Persian influences, further accelerated the Turkification process.

As a result, Turkish began to be adopted as a widespread language, and many Turkic place names emerged. The dissolution of the Sultanate of Rum led to Turkic rule becoming more oppressive in Anatolia. Various local principalities, under Seljuk warlords, increasingly patronized their religion and language. The cultural and religious landscape of Anatolia continued to evolve, influenced by the successes of early Ottomans and the arrival of Sufi mystic scholars from Persia, which led to mass conversions across the region.

By the 15th century, with the advent of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II's official policies of tolerance towards religious minorities, the process of Turkification was well under way, with Turkish becoming the dominant language and cultural identity in Anatolia.