16 Great Turkic Empires
Concept in Turkish ethnic nationalism
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The 16 Great Turkic Empires (Turkish: 16 Büyük Türk Devleti, lit.â'Sixteen Great Turkic States') is a concept in Turkish nationalism introduced in 1969 by map officer[2] Akib Ãzbek [wd] and widely invoked by Turkish authorities during the 1980s, under the government of Kenan Evren.[3]
The list
The "16 Great Turkic Empires" are the following (according to the Turkish Presidency):[4]
| Flag (attributed by Ãzbek)[5] |
Name | Turkish name | Founder[6] | Dates (Gregorian) (as listed on the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey's Website)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg) |
"Great Hunnic Empire" | Büyük Hun Ä°mparatorluÄu[5] | Modu Chanyu | 220 BCEâ216 CE |
.svg) |
"Western Hunnic Empire" | Batı Hun Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Panu | 48â216 |
.svg) |
"Europe Hunnic Empire" | Avrupa Hun Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Attila | 375â469 |
_2.svg) |
"White Hunnic Empire" | Ak Hun Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Aksunvar | 420â552 |
 |
"Göktürk Empire" | Göktürk Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Bumin Qaghan | 552â745 |
 |
"Avar Empire" | Avar Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Bayan Qaghan | 565â835 |
.svg) |
"Khazar Empire" | Hazar Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Irbis | 651â983 |
 |
"Uyghur State" | Uygur Devleti[4] | Kutlug I Bilge Khagan | 745â1368 |
.svg) |
Karakhanids | Karahanlılar[4] | Bilge Kul Qadir Khan | 840â1212 |
 |
"Ghaznavid Empire" | Gazneliler[4] | Sabuktigin | 962â1183 |
_1.svg) |
"Seljuk Empire" | Büyük Selçuklu Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Tughril | 1040â1157 |
.svg) |
"Khwarazmian Empire" | HarzemÅahlar[4] | Muhammad II of Khwarezm | 1097â1231 |
.svg) |
"Golden Horde State" | Altınordu Devleti[4] | Batu Khan | 1236â1502 |
.svg) |
"Great Timurid Empire" | Büyük Timur Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Timur | 1368â1501 |
_2.svg) |
"Mughal Empire" | Babür Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Babur | 1526â1858 |
.svg) |
"Ottoman Empire" | Osmanlı Ä°mparatorluÄu[4] | Osman I | 1299â1922 |
Reception
Turkish nationalist writer, novelist, poet and philosopher, Hüseyin Nihâl Atsız, supporter of the pan-Turkist or Turanism ideology, had noted that while some states with questionable Turkic identity were included in the list (like the Hephthalite Empire), some ostensibly Turkic states (such as Aq Qoyunlu) were left out, and labeled the list a "fabrication."[8][verification needed]
In spite of Atsız' criticism, the concept was made a mainstream topos in Turkish national symbolism in the wake of the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, under the presidency of Kenan Evren. The Turkish Postal administration issued a series of stamps dedicated to the 16 Empires in 1984, showing portraits of their respective founders as well as attributed flags.[5] In 1985, Ãzbek's 16 Empires were invoked as a retrospective explanation of the 16 stars in the presidential seal of Turkey (introduced in 1936).[9]
Several municipal buildings and public parks in Turkey have collections of busts or statues of the founders of the "16 Empires" alongside a statue of Kemal Atatürk, including the municipal buildings of Keçiören (Ankara), Mamak, Ankara, Etimesgut, NiÄde, NevÅehir and PınarbaÅı, Kayseri.[6]
In 2000, Türk Telekom produced a series of smart cards dedicated to the topic.[10]
In January 2015, Turkish president Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan received Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in the Turkish Presidential Palace with a guard of 16 "warriors", actors wearing loosely historical armour and costume, intended to symbolise the 16 empires.[11] The costumes were ridiculed in Turkish media outlets, and one of the costumes in particular was mocked as a "bathrobe", becoming a trend on social media under the name of DuÅakabinoÄulları (lit. "sons of the shower cabin").[12]
In December 2025, when Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan met his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in the People's Palace, different flags were presented symbolizing different civilizations and Islamic states which have existed on Syrian ground.[13][14]