Turkish Roma

The Turkish Roma, also referred to as Turkish Gypsy, Türk Çingeneler, Turski Tsigani (турски цигани), Turkogifti (τουρκο-γύφτοι), Țigani turci, Török Cigányok, Turci Cigani are self-Turkified and assimilated Muslim Roma (Horahane) who have adopted Turkish culture over the centuries, including adopting the Turkish language and used to speak the Rumelian Romani language. They adopted Turkish culture in order to establish a Turkish identity to become more recognized by the host population and have denied their Romani background to express their Turkishness. During a population census, they declared themselves as Turks instead of Roma. While they have always been allowed to live in Turkish communities as Turks, they face economic discrimination and have conflicting views among Turks while Christian Romani do not consider themselves as part of Romani society. They are cultural Muslims who adopted Sunni Islam of Hanafi madhab and religious male circumcision at the time of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate and Ottoman Empire.

Their legendary leader was Mansur ibn Yakub Han, called Çingene Han. He built his karavansaray in Malatya in 1224. Today it can still be seen as a ruin. Mansur bin Yakup Han is buried in the Ulu Mosque in Malatya.