People group profile · PG024594
The Gagauzes of Turkiye
The Gagauzes of Turkiye, numbering about 17,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkic-speaking people who are predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christians, a combination that makes them quite distinctive among the world's Turkic peoples, most of whom are traditionally Muslim.
They are a diaspora people in the Turkic people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. Their primary religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and they primarily speak Gagauz.
Fast facts
- Country
- Turkiye
- Population
- 17,500
- Affinity group
- European Peoples
- People cluster
- Turkic
- Primary language
- Gagauz (gag)
- Primary religion
- Eastern Orthodox Christianity
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Gagauzes 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 Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Gagauzes
- 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
Eastern Orthodox Christianity · Christianity
80% adherents
Primary language
Gagauz · Turkic family
100% speak Gagauz
Gospel resources in Gagauz
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Gagauz)
Bibles
- Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow · video, audio, text
- Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Gagauzes
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
Gagauz in other countries
The same people (ROP3 103132) is reported in 3 other countries.
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