Muhammed Remzi Bey is the symbol of Turks in Johannesburg. He was sent to South Africa by Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamit II as a very young ambassador in 1908. At that time, it took three-and-a-half months for Muhammed Remzi Bey to get to Johannesburg, where he was greeted at an official ceremony by the prime minister. The South African media gave extensive coverage to his arrival in the city. Soon after he settled in the city, Muhammed Remzi Bey realized that Africans were being oppressed and this annoyed him very much. He met with the leaders of Zulu and Sutu tribes and started to organize the Africans. But he was murdered on Feb. 14, 1916, at the age of 48. His grave in the old cemetery located at the heart of the city has come to serve as a common symbol for South Africans and Muslims resisting apartheid. Leading South African Muslim leaders were buried next to his grave.There was a long hiatus in the Turkish-South African relations due to World War I, Turkey’s isolationist policies and the racist apartheid regime in place in South Africa between 1948 and 1994. The French have celebrated the 300th anniversary of their settlement in South Africa, but Turks are relatively new to the country, as their past here only goes back several decades. The country’s Turkish population is around 3,500, including illegal immigrants. After the establishment of the Turkish Republic, the first Turks came to South Africa with Western corporations. There has been a sizable Kurdish migration to South Africa, apparently for political reasons, during the last decade. Their number is low, but Turks are increasingly becoming more active and highly regarded around the country. Turks are particularly active in the bed linen sector. There are 105 people, including 15 Turks, employed at the bed linen factory owned by Mustafa Sesli, who came to Johannesburg with his family from Uşak 10 years ago. Sesli has become a model businessman for Turks.
There are five Turkish schools in South Africa. The first one was established in 1999. The success of this school inspired others and four more schools (secondary and high school) were opened in the 10 year period. Currently, there are about 3,000 students in Turkish schools. They are particularly famous for the quality of education and the schools’ discipline. These schools’ practice of ensuring that the teachers show keen interest in their students and their families, even after school, was first regarded strange, but was later adopted readily. Almost all of the students are black South African students. The first black South African student who scored among the top 10 students at the mathematics olympiads held in South Africa was a student from one of the Turkish schools. Four languages are used as the medium of instruction: Afrikaans, Zulu, English and Turkish. In some parts of the country, other official or local languages are added. In addition to the schools, Turks in South Africa established the Turquoise Harmony Institute in 2006. This institute aims to promote dialogue among Turkish and South African intellectuals and politicians.
South Africa is the African continent’s richest and most industrialized country. It has customs union agreements with many neighboring African countries. The surrounding countries are mostly dependent on South Africa for commerce, politics and labor. For Turks, South Africa has become a hub of transportation and commerce for all countries in southern Africa. In conclusion, it can be said that Turks in South Africa are new in the country and they are young, inexperienced and rootless. But they are learning and adapting fast. They can blend Turkish and South African culture. They have managed to become “South African Turks” instead of “White Men.” Turks love South Africa and vice versa.
