Turkish Dialect of the Gagauz people in Kumçiftliği (Orestiada), Greece: Analysis–texts–glossary

A significant portion of the Gagauz people, known as Christian Turks, today live as an autonomous community within the Gagauz Yeri region of the Republic of Moldova. Due to living conditions, geographical factors, economic difficulties, and various socio-political reasons, many Gagauz people have been forced to leave their homeland and are now dispersed across different parts of the world. The focus of this study is the Gagauz community living in Greece, who are predominantly settled in the northeastern part of the country, specifically in the Evros region. The roots of the Gagauz people living in villages, towns, and cities near the Edirne border primarily trace back to migrations from the districts of Havsa and Uzunköprü in Edirne, as well as their surrounding villages, especially following the 1920s. These Gagauz people, who represent living examples of the Turkish language and culture, have gradually begun to lose their ethnic identity and have been subjected to assimilation over the years. Although a significant portion of the younger generations no longer speak Turkish, some members of the community still maintain the use of the Turkish language, continue their traditional lifestyles, and preserve many elements related to their ethnic identity. Museums that exhibit ethnographic materials such as traditional Gagauz clothing, household items, reconstructed living spaces, and ancestral tools hold great importance in reflecting their identity, especially when considering the relationship between language and culture. Until now, no dialectological study has been conducted in this region. However, the variety of Turkish spoken here should be classified among endangered languages. The last generation of Turkish speakers is currently living in the area. For this reason, the significance of this study is indisputable. In our subsequent research, we plan to cover the entire region in more detail. Documenting these oral traditions, which are on the verge of disappearing, and transmitting them to future generations is of great importance in terms of cultural preservation. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to our cultural heritage by revealing the current status of Turkish in this region, particularly in terms of its phonological and morphological features and vocabulary. Keywords: Christian Turks, Gagauz People, Kumçiftliği, Vocabulary