Bosnian community in Turkey maintains culture for generations
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Members of the Bosnian community in Karamürsel, Turkey, are working to preserve their language and traditions nearly 140 years after their ancestors arrived from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The “Karamürsel Bosnia Hersek Türkleri Dayanışma ve Yardımlaşma Derneği” association presented their city at the EKOBIS fair in Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina, aiming to strengthen connections between Bošnjaks in Turkey and those in Bosnia, particularly in the Unsko-sanski Canton.
Karamürsel, a city on the Sea of Marmara with a population of around 80,000, is home to approximately 30,000 Bošnjaks. Their predecessors migrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina during various historical periods, and the community continues to actively protect their heritage. Ahmet Çetin Hajdarović, president of the association, explained that his family has lived in Turkey for nearly 140 years and that they actively maintain their culture, language, and mutual support.
The association also promotes Karamürsel as a tourist destination, highlighting its beaches and cultural sites like a fountain similar to the one in Sarajevo’s Baščaršija. They offer classes in the Bosnian language, taught by a student from Tuzla, to young people born and raised in Turkey. Beyond language, the community holds large annual gatherings called teferidž, attracting five to seven thousand Bošnjaks to celebrate traditional food, music, and customs.
Bošnjaks are also integrated into Karamürsel’s civic and economic life, with one former mayor, Ismail Yildirim Festić, retaining his Bosnian surname. The association maintains reciprocal relationships with cultural organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including regular visits and collaborations.
