Origins of Naturalized Turkish Players

[Levenspiel]

It must be noted that none of you make reference to the genocidal devshirme system in which several tens of thousands Christian boys generally taken from the Balkan provinces were recruited by force to serve the Ottoman Empire. A system that may explain why some nowadays Turks have light skin and blond hair.

By the way, I warmly recommend Milorad Pavić's novel Dictionary of the Khazars to all book-lovers.

Looking objectively, and very simply, devsirme is a cruel but ingenious strategy. Ottomans basically conquered the eastern Europe with soldiers of Europen roots. They were not only soldiers though, many ended up in high-level state positions, and some even became famous for their nepotism, like Sokullu Mehmet Pasa, Sokolovic. Originally a Serbian orthodox, who became the strongest man in the world's one of the strongest empires during and after Suleyman's rule.

As for their numbers, I personally don't know. I didn't think they were large enough a population to alter the genetic make-up of Turkey. It is a lot more likely that the existing populations of conquered lands mixed with Turks and created a mixed nation. Therefore, my opinion is that previous inhabitants of Anatolia and surrounding lands are the most likely candidates for melting into Turkey's current genetic soup. Namely, Greeks, Caucasians, Armenians, Kurds and Arabs. People from Balkans were added more recently. That's probably why they still remember and keep their original identities. (these are all my opinions/speculations, though)

[Levenspiel]

According to European fascists, every Turk who has light skin, hair color and blue eyes has to be Turkified Bosniak, Albanian or Greek. We know that this is bullsh.it I'm %50 Albanian, %25 Bosniak and % 25 Balkan Turkish( Macedonia) and have dark hair, brown eyes, standing at 1.86 m. None of my relatives have blue eyes or blond hair but light skin. Actually, Albanians and Bosniaks tend to be darker than most people thought, but Bosniaks are very tall, probably the tallest in the world along with other Dinaric nations( Serbs, Montenegrins, Croats) Anyway, I'm not European-looking guy according to European fascists, As you know, Turkey has 2.5 m Syrians and I always see some Syrians when walking down the streets and guess what? Many of them have pale skin with blue or green eyes, while the majority is still dark. Euro-fascists think '' how can an Arab become light like them? '' They'll never understand I'm sure that European-looking Arabs and Syrians are not European descent but fascists don't wanna admit it

Bulgaria has strong weightlifting tradition but Bulgaria and Bulgarian-Turks in decline at that sports

You have a point that the impression of oriental people in Europe is funny. Even if we are in general darker, with brown eyes, dark hair, etc, the image in European eyes is that we Turks are ALL the same; and we are the same with all others in the regions regardless of their ethnicity.

Whenever I board a Turkish airlines plane from an country abroad, the hostesses always switch to Turkish when they greet me. it's like welcome, welcome, welcome, hosgeldiniz , welcome. That is a very strong indication that I personally look a lot like Turkish, without a doubt. But still, even in this day and age, I've been told many times in Europe that I don't look like Turkish! That shows I think they expect to see an "orc"!

[BiHBasket]

In Western eyes, all Turks have mustaches. You no Turk if you don't have long, thick mustaches

[BORA]

enes kanter. kerem kanter, tutku acik , hakan demirel (kurdish)

ömer onan, kerem gönlüm, (arabisch)

goksenin köksal. (laz)

[tensai]

It must be noted that none of you make reference to the genocidal devshirme system in which several tens of thousands Christian boys generally taken from the Balkan provinces were recruited by force to serve the Ottoman Empire. A system that may explain why some nowadays Turks have light skin and blond hair.

By the way, I warmly recommend Milorad Pavić's novel Dictionary of the Khazars to all book-lovers.

I did not know that blonde Kokturk Khans were devşirme. They must have invented time machine because Kokturk Empire founded AD 552.
But devşirme system first occured in the era of Sultan 1. Mehmet who ruled Ottoman Empire between 1413-1421.

[tensai]

enes kanter. kerem kanter, tutku acik , hakan demirel (kurdish)

ömer onan, kerem gönlüm, (arabisch)

goksenin köksal. (laz)

An anthropology professor here.
Seems you googled names, saw the cities they born and there you go. Hakan Demirel and I were in the same high school untill his departure to USA, even I did not hear anything about his kurdish ethnicity.

"Goksenin köksal (laz)" made my day.

[Levenspiel]

An anthropology professor here.
Seems you googled names, saw the cities they born and there you go. Hakan Demirel and I were in the same high school untill his departure to USA, even I did not hear anything about his kurdish ethnicity.

"Goksenin köksal (laz)" made my day.

In all fairness, it makes sense that we should have at least a few players with Kurdish origin (unless they have a specific aversion to bball). But their birthplace does not indicate their ethnicity, that's true. it's also true that some Kurdish (and Arabic) people do not consider themselves as such, but only as Turkish.

[BORA]

metecan james birsen, (ireland)

inanc koc, fatih solak(kurdisch)

oguz savas (Circassians)

furkan kormaz ( Armenians- alevi)

hüseyin besok - faruk besok ( sephardi jews)

ahmet düverioglu , ( jordan)

dogus balbay ( arabisch)

ömer faruk yurtseven( uzbekistan)

[slice me nice]

So much disinformation purposely, under this thread. Which one should be corrected, I even can't decide. I won't get into discussion because I am not a geneticist or anthropologist but people with healthy two eyes can see the bullshit here. Some claims Turks have blonde skins or hair just because devşirme system. I am really amazed with this ignorance. The Serbian troll just discarded thousand of years Turkish history and trying to find answers his questions from one system. There are people whose origins are going deeply to Balkans but you can't explain everything with this fact. As tensai explained, the Turkish history is deeper than you can imagine or dream. Spread your lies in another platform, you are simply a troll, I personally don't take you serious.

And the newcomer, you are funny Keep on posting these stuffs. Sometimes people need some people who make them laugh. You are one of them. ''Almost'' all these names that you wrote down are Turkish. Even if they are not, you can't know their ethnical background unless they declare. For example, Yurtseven was born in Uzbekistan from Turkish mother and father. His father was a sinker in Taşkent. Or Furkan Korkmaz, how do you know his religious belief? How did you decide he is an Alevi, even if he is Alevi, what makes him an Armenian? You should know Alevi belief was so common between Turkish tribes.

Full of disinformation and its purpose is not informing people but making a black propaganda. The dumbest thread on this forum.

[Levenspiel]

@SMN, I think you are wrong on a few accounts.
1. there is no claim that the information provided here is absolutely true. Some are speculations and some possibly are wrong. but many are also correct.
2. Knowledge and curiosity is never harmful, and cannot be contained just because you don't like them.
3. Ironically, it's your attitude which is on the verge of trolling.

[serbianhoops]

I did not know that blonde Kokturk Khans were devşirme. They must have invented time machine because Kokturk Empire founded AD 552.
But devşirme system first occured in the era of Sultan 1. Mehmet who ruled Ottoman Empire between 1413-1421.

Where on earth did you read that the Ottoman Empire's genocidal devshirme system was in any way linked to the Köktürks, a nomadic confederation of peoples in medieval inner-Asia?

One thing is sure, not in my post.

[serbianhoops]

So much disinformation purposely, under this thread. Which one should be corrected, I even can't decide. I won't get into discussion because I am not a geneticist or anthropologist but people with healthy two eyes can see the bullshit here. Some claims Turks have blonde skins or hair just because devşirme system. I am really amazed with this ignorance. The Serbian troll just discarded thousand of years Turkish history and trying to find answers his questions from one system. There are people whose origins are going deeply to Balkans but you can't explain everything with this fact. As tensai explained, the Turkish history is deeper than you can imagine or dream. Spread your lies in another platform, you are simply a troll, I personally don't take you serious.

Sorry to read it. Which lies? You're welcome to read again my post. It was pretty clear that I provide one possible explaniation for SOME so-called European looking Turks, not for all. But at least, I'm glad you didn't contradict me about Turskih players of former-Yugoslavian ancestry.

It must be noted that none of you make reference to the genocidal devshirme system in which several tens of thousands Christian boys generally taken from the Balkan provinces were recruited by force to serve the Ottoman Empire. A system that may explain why some nowadays Turks have light skin and blond hair.

[Levenspiel]

This is a thread concocted of several separate pieces, therefore the discussions are widely spread.

I tried to summarize the information, which sounded a bit more reliable to me.

Players that obtained TR passport, but not the eligibility for NT
Erwin Dudley (USA) --> Ersin Dagli
Michael Wright (USA) --> Ali Karadeniz
Petar Naumoski (MKD) --> Namik Polat
Damir Mrsic (BIH) --> Kaan Demir
Ruslan Benger (AZE) --> Rasim Basak
Orhan Gadzhiev (AZE) --> Orhan Haciyeva
Ricky Winslow (USA) --> Reşat Fırıncıoğlu
Mirko Milicevic (SRB) --> Muhammed Onar
David Lee Dixon (USA) --> Davud Kamer

Players that obtained TR passport as senior, and played for NT
Bobby Dixon --> Muhammad Ali
Emir Preldzic --> Emir Preldzic (no change in name).

Players that obtained TR passport in youth categories, and played for Turkish NT
Asim Pescanovic (BIH) --> Asim Pars
Edin Delic (BIH) --> Nedim Dal
Mirsad Jahovic (Novi Pazar, SRB) --> Mirsad Turkcan
Ermal Kuqo (ALB) --> Ermal Kurtoglu (played for Albanian NT afterwards)
Arsen Ilyasov (UZB?) --> Ersan Ilyasova
Kenan Spahi (KOS) -->Kenan Sipahi

Players that obtained TR passport in youth categories, but did not play for Senior NT
Dusan Gavrilovic (Serbian) --> Dusan Cantekin
Vsevolod Fadeikin (Kazakh) --> Selim Saygin
Buti Haxhismajli (Kosovo) -- > Burak Haciismail

Players that are born in Turkey as Turkish, but have different ethnic backgrounds
Hidayet Turkoglu (family roots from Bosnia)
Mehmet Okur (family roots from Bosnia & Ukraine)
Semih Erden (Family roots from Montenegro)
Melih Mahmutoglu (family roots from Sandzak region, Serbia) – family name: Brničanin
Emircan Kosut (family roots form Montengro & Sandzak region, Serbia)
Engin Emre Bayav (family roots from Serbia)
Samet Gulek (family roots from Serbia)
Berk Demir (family roots from Serbia), family name: Demic
Mustafa Kemal Bitim (family roots from Novi Pazar, Serbia)
Onuaralp Bitim (son of M.K. Bitim, therefore roots from SRB)
Yesukan Onar (half Turkish, half Serbian – son of Milko Milicevic/Muhammed Onar)
Birkan Batuk (BIH/SRB??) - family name: Curkić
Faik Can Nurkan (BIH/SRB??) – family name: Nurković

Ethnic Turkish Players that are born outside Turkey
Cedi Osman (FYR Macedonia, Turkish father & Bosnian Mom)
Omer Yurtseven (Uzbekistan, Turkish parents)
Enes Kanter (Switzerland, Turkish parents)

[BORA]

Enes Kanter (Switzerland, Turkish parents)


hahahahaha, kurdisch orgin

[Levenspiel]

Enes Kanter (Switzerland, Turkish parents)


hahahahaha, kurdisch orgin

so far that is only your claim, and all available information is otherwise. even if "reasonably" confirmed, I'll change that.