The Turks have been an important people group in Libya since the days of the Ottoman Empire. At that time, Ottoman Turks settled in Libya, often intermarrying with local women. They were discouraged from intermarrying; their offspring were called Kouloughlis. Even after the Ottoman Empire dissolved after WWI, Turks continued to migrate to Libya. Turks remained in Libya even after Italy briefly occupied that nation. In the 1970s, Turkish guest workers went to Libya to help develop the oil industry. More Turkish guest workers went to Libya in the 1980s when Turkish construction companies arrived. Though there are Turks in Tripoli, most live in Misrata.
The Turks are the third largest block of peoples in Libya after the Arabs and the Berbers. Turks remain politically and economically powerful in Libya. Some Libyans believe the civil war is between the Arab majority and the Turks.
The Turks are Sunni Muslims who believe that the One, Supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship. The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah. Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will. In most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will drive the Turks in Libya into the loving arms of Jesus Christ. Pray for a movement to Christ among the Turks in Libya. Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers to the Turks in Libya. Pray for Turkish disciples to make more disciples in Libya and beyond.
Scripture Prayers for the Turk in Libya.
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
