Turkic peoples Any of various peoples who speak one of the Turkic languages. They are connected with the Tuque (T’u-chiieh), nomadic people who in the 6th century ad founded an empire stretching from Mongolia to the Black Sea (see Turkistan). In the 11th century the SeuOqs created an extensive empire after defeating the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert (1071), an event that opened Anatolia to settlement by Turkic-speaking peoples (and eventually led to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in the 20th century). Though overrun by the Mongols in the 13th century, the Turks succeeded in absorbing them after Genghis Khan’s death (1227). In the 14th century Timur, who was of mixed Mon¬ golian and Turkic ancestry, held most of Central Asia and some of South Asia. In the 15th century Russian expansion drove the Turkic peoples eastward into what is now Kazakhstan. Today Turkic peoples live mostly in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
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1952 I Turkish Angora cat ► turmeric
Turkish Angora cat Breed of longhaired domestic cat that probably arose from a domesticated cat of Tatars who migrated to Turkey, where it is now regarded as a national treasure. It has a long body, fine bones, a pointed face, and a silky, medium-length coat. White is the most popu¬ lar colour, but it may be any of several solid colours or any pattern of two or more colours.
Turkish bath Bath originating in the Middle East, combining exposure to warm air, steam immersion, massage, and a cold bath or shower. The Turkish bath ( hammam ) reflects the fusion of the massage and cosmetic aspects of the Eastern bath tradition and the plumbing and heating tech¬ niques of the Romans. Turkish baths were smaller than the Roman ther¬ mae and more sparsely lit. The baths at Constantinople were domed, and rooms were richly decorated with marble or mosaics. Used for socializ¬ ing and relaxation as well as bathing, the hammam was popular through¬ out the Islamic world; some baths are still in use. In the 19th century, the Turkish bath was adapted and exported to Europe and the U.S.
Turkish language Turkic language of Turkey, spoken by about 90% of its population. Turkish has about 59 million speakers, with many enclaves in the Balkans and Cyprus (dating from Ottoman times) and in western Europe. Turkish was introduced into Anatolia with the invasion of Turkmen tribes in the 13th—14th centuries. Anatolian Turkish, written in the Arabic alphabet, is first attested in the 13th century. Ottoman Turk¬ ish was so heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic that it lost some of its Turkic characteristics and was incomprehensible to lower social strata. Efforts to re-Turkicize the language began in the 18th century but did not make serious gains until the 20th century and the founding of the Turk¬ ish republic. Much Perso-Arabic vocabulary was removed, and the Latin alphabet was adopted with the addition of diacritics to symbolize sounds peculiar to Turkish.
Turkish van cat Breed of semi-longhaired domestic cat distinguished mainly by its unusual colour pattern: white, with coloured markings only on the head and tail. “Van” is a common term in the breed’s native region, Central and South Asia, used also to describe other cats with similar markings. The breed was brought to Europe by returning Crusaders. A unique feature is its cashmere-like, waterproof coat; it loves water, and in its native region it has been called the swimming cat. It is large, active, and intelligent.
Turkistan or Turkestan Historical region, Central Asia. This some¬ what broad geographic region—situated between Siberia to the north and Tibet, India, Afghanistan, and Iran to the south—derived its name from its inhabitants, who were predominantly of Turkic ancestry. The total area of more than 1,000,000 sq mi (2,600,000 sq km) was bisected by the Pamir and Tien Shan ranges, forming West and East Turkistan. West Turkistan, which included what is now Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyr¬ gyzstan and southern Kazakhstan, came under Russian rule in the 19th century. East Turkistan was annexed by China in the 8th century; it included what is now the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang.
Turkmen Member of a Central Asian people belonging to the south¬ western branch of the Turkic linguistic group. At the beginning of the 21st century, they numbered more than six million, and most lived in Turk¬ menistan and adjacent parts of Central Asia. A significant number also live in Iran and parts of Turkey and Afghanistan, and there are pockets of Turkmen in northern Iraq and Syria. Initially a nomadic pastoral people living in tent villages, many took up agriculture while under Soviet rule. Most are Muslim, and they have traditionally divided themselves by eco¬ nomic function. They are patrilineal, and each family or tribal group is headed by a khan.
Turkmenistan Country, Central Asia. Area: 188,500 sq mi (488,100 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 4,833,000. Capitaclass="underline" Ashgabat. Turkmen make up three-fourths of the population, with small groups of Uzbeks, Russians, Kazakhs, and Tatars. Language: Turkmen (official). Religions: Islam (pre¬ dominantly Sunni); also Eastern Orthodox. Currency: manat. There are some hills and low mountains. About nine-tenths of Turkmenistan is desert, chiefly the Karakum. The main rivers are the Amu Darya and Morghab. Many irrigation canals and reservoirs have been built, includ¬ ing the Karakum Canal, which runs 870 mi (1,400 km) between the Amu Darya and the Caspian Sea. The country’s chief products are petroleum and natural gas, cotton, silk, carpets, fish, and fruit. It is a republic with one legislative house; its head of state and government is the president, assisted by the People’s Council. The earliest traces of human settlement in Central Asia, dating to Paleolithic times, have been found in Turkmen¬
istan. The nomadic, tribal Turkmen prob¬ ably entered the area in the 11th century ad. They were conquered by the Russians in the early 1880s, and the region became part of Russian Turkistan. It was organized as the Turkmen S.S.R. in 1924 and became a constituent republic of the U.S.S.R. in 1925. The country gained full independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 under the name Turkmenistan. It experienced years of eco¬ nomic difficulty until oil and gas production was more fully developed and was subject to the highly authoritarian rule of Saparmurad Niyazov.
Turks and Caicos \'ka-,kos, 'ka-kosX Islands British dependency (pop., 2002 est.: 18,738), West Indies. It comprises two small island groups at the southeastern end of The Bahamas. The Turks group includes Grand Turk, Salt Cay, and lesser cays. The Caicos group includes South Caicos, East Caicos, Middle (or Grand) Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, West Caicos, and several smaller cays. The seat of government is at Cock- bum Town on Grand Turk Island. When Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon visited in 1512, the islands were inhabited by Indians. British colo¬ nists from Bermuda arrived in 1678. The islands were at first placed under the government of The Bahamas, but in 1874 they were annexed to the colony of Jamaica. The Turks and Caicos Islands became a crown colony in 1962 and shared a governor with The Bahamas from 1965 to 1973. A new constitution was adopted in 1988. The chief industries are tour¬ ism and offshore financial services.
turmeric Vtar-ms-rikX Perennial herbaceous plant (Curcuma longa; family Zingiberaceae), native to southern India and Indonesia. Its tuberous rhizomes have been used from antiquity as a condiment, as a textile dye, and medically as an aro¬ matic stimulant. The rhizome has a pepperlike aroma and a somewhat bitter, warm taste. It colours and fla¬ vours prepared mustard and is used in curry powder, relishes, pickles, spiced butters, and numerous culi¬ nary dishes. Paper tinged with tur¬ meric turns from yellow to reddish brown when an alkali is added to it, thus providing a test for alkalinity.