The Karay Community that spoke with a different dialect of Kipchak language with the majority of Khazar-rooted people was called with the name of the sect that they followed. This community succeeded in the preservation of their existence in the Crimea for centuries. This community was composed of the people the majority of whom were the descendants of Khazar people that were the inheritors of the Khazars in ethnical and cultural respects. The number of these people was not too high since their ancient periods in history. Some of the people from the Karay community immigrated to Lithuania and Poland in the centuries XIV and XV and they settled there and formed another community. Furthermore, we know that there was some Karaim Hebrews, antagonists of Talmud that did not leave their regions pursuant to the collapse of the Khazar State and stayed in the Caucasus Mountains and survived there. We also know that these people are called today as the Bucolic Hebrews.
Some of Karay people who left the Crimea came directly to Istanbul and settled there. Some others emigrated from the Crimea firstly to Romania, then Edirne and finally to Istanbul and settled there. Thus, a Karay community was gathered in Istanbul. All Karay people were in peace and quiet until the revolution in October 1917; however, they were disturbed pursuant to the revolution. Some of Karay people left the Crimea and Russia pursuant to the revolution and immigrated to the European countries, America and Egypt. Nearly all of the people who immigrated to Egypt went to Israel pursuant to the Channel War in 1947 and settled in the region of Ramle lydda. According to the information obtained from Israeli resources, there are nearly 15 thousands of Karay Turks that live in Israel today. The Israeli people whom we have interviewed told that the Karay people who had come from the Crimea were not the descendants of the Turks. However, the crushing majority of Karay people who came from the Egypt were the Karay Turks who had emigrated from the Crimea to the Egypt. The Crimean Karay Turks who were shocked by the Russians in 1917 suffered from a bigger stroke of Russians in the course of the Second World War and minimum 30 thousands of Karay Turks were exiled to various regions of the Soviet geography.
Today, there are over 30.000 thousands of Karay people who live all over the world particularly in U.S.A., various European countries, Turkey, Israel and the former Soviet geography. However, it has been observed that the figures determined before were faulty and deficient pursuant to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Bucolic Hebrews that live in todays Azerbaijani geography must have been Karay people. This number is increased to a higher level with the addition of the number of the Bucolic Hebrews who live in the cities of Kusar, Baku, Gence, etc. in Azerbaijan.
All of Karay people who still live in Israel have learned the Hebrew language and they use this language in their daily life. The Karay language tends to be forgotten by the children in Israel. Due to the strict rules of marriage in Karaim sect and the prohibition of intermarriage with relatives, young Karay people in Israel are generally married with Hebrews who are protagonists of Talmud and this situation causes to the diminution of this community. While the number of Karay people in Turkey was around 150 in the year of 1985, it has decreased to the number of 95 in the year of 1993. The numbers of the Polish Karay people determined above 1000 in 1960s have fairly decreased. Furthermore, we have witnessed that the Karay population in Europe and America decreases significantly. The Bucolic Hebrews in the Caucasus and Azerbaijan had taken pride in saying that they were the descendants of Khazar people. But, as a result of the inculcation of the religious leaders from America, Europe and Israel who were protagonists of Talmud, these Bucolic Hebrews have started to say that they are not the descendants of Khazar people, and that they do not have any relation with Karaim sect and therefore, and that they were the descendants of Israelites and the protagonists of Talmud.
The Karay people are the descendants and inheritors of Khazar people who had a significant role in the Turkish history. The Karay culture is a part of the Turkish culture. Therefore, the Turkish world should show the proper interest to the Karay people. Furthermore, the State of the Republic of Turkey should protect Karay people and their cultures that are considered as a part of its own nation and culture.
The End
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