Ili Turks
Turkic ethnic group in Xinjiang, China
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ili Turks (Chinese: 土尔克人; pinyin: Tǔ'ěrkè rén; lit. 'Turk people') are a Turkic ethnic group native to Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of northern Xinjiang, China.[3] They speak the Ili Turki language, which belongs to the Karluk branch of the Turkic languages.[1] The oral history of the Ili Turks says that they came from the Ferghana Valley of Uzbekistan.[1] The Chinese government does not recognize the Ili Turks as a distinct ethnic group in censuses.
Kazakhstan57 (2009)[2]| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 China
| 120 (2019)[1] |
| Kazakhstan | 57 (2009)[2] |
| Languages | |
| Ili Turki, Kazakh, Lanyin Mandarin | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam[1] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Uyghurs, Äynus, Uzbeks, Kazakhs | |
The Ili Turks are nomadic herders. There are many unique animal husbandry words in their language.[4][5]
