People group profile · PG024371
The Ahiska Turks of Kyrgyzstan
The Ahiska Turks of Kyrgyzstan, numbering about 18,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkish-speaking Muslim diaspora community descended from people deported from Georgia's Ahiska (Meskheti) region in 1944; they retain a distinct identity rooted in shared history, language, and heritage.
They are a diaspora people in the Turkic people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Turkish.
Fast facts
- Country
- Kyrgyzstan
- Population
- 18,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Turkic
- Primary language
- Turkish (tur)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Meskhetian Turk, Turkish Meskhetian, Turkish Ahiskan, Ahiska Turk
- Region
- Central Asia, Asia
- Location
- Widespread
Where they live
Gospel status
The Ahiska Turks are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Ahiska Turks
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
100% adherents
Primary language
Turkish · Turkic family
100% speak Turkish
Gospel resources in Turkish
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- Magdalena (Turkish)
- The Savior (Turkish)
Bibles
- Halk Dilinde 2012 · audio, text
- Kutsal Kitap 2009 · audio, text
- New Turkish Bible Translation · video
- Yeni Antlaşma 1987, 1994 · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Ahiska Turks
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
Ahiska (Meskheti) Turk in other countries
The same people (ROP3 115687) is reported in 5 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahiska Turks | Uzbekistan | 197,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Ahiska Turks | Russian Federation | 80,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Ahiska Turks | Azerbaijan | 27,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Ahiska Turks | United States | 11,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Ahiska Turks | Ukraine | 8,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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