Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG024589

The Syrian Aramaic of Turkiye

The Syrian Aramaic of Turkiye, numbering about 17,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Central Neo-Aramaic-speaking ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the Tur Abdin region in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.

They are an indigenous people in the Assyrian people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Syriac Orthodox Christianity, and they primarily speak Turoyo.

Pray for the Syrian AramaicPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Turkiye
Population
17,500
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Assyrian
Primary language
Turoyo (tru)
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
Location
Tur Abdin region

Where they live

Gospel status

The Syrian Aramaic 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 Syrian Aramaic

  • 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

99% adherents

Primary language

Turoyo · Afro-Asiatic family

80% speak Turoyo

Gospel resources in Turoyo

  • Bible available, published 2013
  • 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 Syrian Aramaic

  1. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  2. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  3. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  4. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.

Download a prayer guide

Turoyo in other countries

The same people (ROP3 110313) is reported in 2 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
AssyriansNetherlands32,500Unengaged and Unreached
Syrian AramaicSyria28,500Engaged yet Unreached

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.