Community

The Turkish Community in Australia:

Arrival

Large scale immigration to Australia began in the late 1960s.

The book The Australian People (edited by James Jupp and published by Angus and Robertson, 1988), notes only 116 Turks were living in Australia just after the end of the Second World War.

However, in 1968, Australia and Turkey signed a special agreement to establish an assisted migration program.

It came into being at a time of intense debate about the White Australia Policy and as the government was considering looking for new source-countries for prospective migrants.

During the life of the agreement, most of the Turkish-speaking migrants who arrived in Australia were from Anatolia.

Settlement

With rapid and sustained migration under the program, came the establishment of community organisations. By 1984 there were almost fifty groups supporting the Turkish community.

Nowadays, it's estimated almost 30,000 Turkish-born people live in Australia and figures from the 1996 Census put the number of Turkish speakers at more than 46,000.

Many come from Cyprus. An important factor in the maintenance of Turkish language and culture has been the establishment of Islamic and Koranic studies at special schools and local mosques and a strong media. 

There are many organisations within Australia's Turkish-speaking community. Here are some of them:
 

Australian Turkish Association
Phone: +61 3 9583 4744
ata@chariot.net.au

Australian Turkish Women's Association
Phone: +61 3 9302 3326

Australian Turkish Cultural Platform
Phone: +61 401 385 606

Australian Turkish Cypriot Cultural and Welfare Association Inc.
Phone: +61 3 9366 3683

Australia Gallipoli Friendship Society
www.ausgallipoli.com

Australian Turkish University Students Association
Phone: +61 431 641 642
www.atusa.org

Australian Western Thrace Turks
Phone: +61 3 9510 4889

Meadow Heights Turkish Women's Association
Phone: +61 410 160 053

Moreland Turkish Association
Phone: +61 409 439 839

Thomastown Turkish Women's Recreation
Phone: +61 3 9465 1098

Victorian Turkish Teachers Association
Phone: +61 411 159 498

Australia Alevi Community Council
Phone: +61 3 9354 8154

NSW Council of Turkish Association
Phone: +61 2 9649 7502

Association of Australia Turkish Women's Helping Hand
Phone: +61 2 9531 2469

NSW Turkish Educational and Cultural Association
Phone: +61 2 9749 4012

Academy of Turkish Music and Fine Arts
Phone: +61 416 100 797

Turkish Association of South Australia
Phone: +61 422 420 003

Turkish Association of Western Australia
Phone: +61 439 988 053