People group profile · PG042249
The Turkmen of Iran
The Turkmen of Iran, numbering about 2,780,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkic ethnic group indigenous to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern Iran, and northwestern Afghanistan.
They are an indigenous people in the Turkmen people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Turkmen.
Fast facts
- Country
- Iran
- Population
- 2,780,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Turkmen
- Primary language
- Turkmen (tuk)
- 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
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Golestan, Razavi Khorasan, and North Khorasan provinces: Turkmenistan border area; Mazandaran province: Gonbad-e Kavus and Pahlavi Dezh
Where they live
Gospel status
The Turkmen 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 Turkmen
- 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
70% adherents
Primary language
Turkmen · Turkic family
100% speak Turkmen
Gospel resources in Turkmen
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- Magdalena (Turkmen)
Bibles
- 2016 Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow · video, audio, text
- 2016 Turkmen Truth · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Turkmen
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- 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.
Turkmen in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110306) is reported in 8 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkmen | Turkmenistan | 5,355,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Turkmen | Afghanistan | 2,105,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Turkmen | Turkiye | 800,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Turkmen | Uzbekistan | 227,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Turkmen | Tajikistan | 15,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Turkmen | Pakistan | 15,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Turkmen | Kyrgyzstan | 2,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Turkmen | United States | 200 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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