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People group profile · PG024540

The Assyrians of Turkiye

The Assyrians of Turkiye, numbering about 29,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Semitic people indigenous to northern Mesopotamia, speakers of Neo-Aramaic, claiming continuity with ancient Assyria, split across the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic, and Syriac Orthodox traditions, with a large modern diaspora.

They are a diaspora people in the Assyrian people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Syriac Orthodox Christianity, and they primarily speak Assyrian Neo-Aramaic.

Pray for the AssyriansPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Assyrians people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Assyrian

Fast facts

Country
Turkiye
Population
29,000
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Assyrian
Primary language
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (aii)
Primary religion
Syriac Orthodox Christianity
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Western Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Assyrians are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Assyrians

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Syriac Orthodox Christianity · Christianity

80% adherents

Primary language

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic · Afro-Asiatic family

80% speak Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Gospel resources in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Assyrians

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

Assyrian in other countries

The same people (ROP3 100574) is reported in 13 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
AssyriansIraq207,000Unengaged and Unreached
AssyriansSweden145,000Unengaged and Unreached
AssyriansUnited States70,000No Longer Unreached
AssyriansGermany70,000No Longer Unreached
AssyriansSyria50,500Engaged yet Unreached
AssyriansAustralia40,000No Longer Unreached
AssyriansLebanon31,500Unengaged and Unreached
AssyriansIran22,000Unengaged and Unreached
AssyriansCanada11,500No Longer Unreached
AssyriansKuwait8,500Engaged yet Unreached
AssyriansUnited Kingdom7,000Unengaged and Unreached
AssyriansFrance4,000Unengaged and Unreached
AssyriansIsrael850Unengaged and Unreached

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