The Turks in Libya, also commonly referred to as Kouloughlis are Libyans who claim partial descent from Ottoman Janissaries in Libya. Quantifiying their presence/population in Libya in the modern day is near impossible, due to them assimilating near entirely in the Libyan population over time. They mainly make up a small fraction of the populations of the cities, Misrata and Tripoli. During Ottoman Alleigance/Alliance in Libya (1551–1912), Turkish Janissaries began to migrate to the region. A minimal number of said Turks, and Janissaries intermarried with the native population, and their offspring were referred to as Kouloughlis due to their mixed heritage. After the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, Turks continued to migrate to Libya from the newly established modern states. However, contrary to popular belief, the large majority of said migrants were Cretan Muslims, who were often referred to as Turks by some Christian Greeks due to their religion; not their ethnic background.

History

Ottoman Libya

During Ottoman Alleigance/Alliance in Libya (1551–1912), Turkish Janissaries began to migrate to the region. A minimal number of said Turks, and Janissaries intermarried with the native population, and their offspring were referred to as Kouloughlis due to their mixed heritage. Today there Libyans who their ethnicity as Turkish, or acknowledge their descent from the Ottomans. .

Italian Libya

After Libya fell to the Italians in 1911, most Kouloughlis still remained in the region, They played no role in the Resistance itself, and remained an idle, subservient, minority of the population.

Culture

As a result of four centuries of Ottoman Presence/Alliance to and within Libya, the Libyans left some of their cultural imprints on the Turks, particularly their language, food, and costumes, which the Kouloughlis adopted from the locals.

Religion

The Ottoman brought with them the teaching of the Hanafi School of Islam during the Ottoman, However the large majority of the Sunni Muslim Libyan population follows the Maliki school of thought.

Notable people