Turkish Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Turkey bridges Europe and Asia, with Istanbul straddling the Bosphorus. It is famous for its history, its food and its hospitality. Turkish people in Birmingham include families from Turkey, Turkish Cypriots and Turkish-speaking families who have lived in other European countries before coming to Britain.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 767 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Turkish; 711 people living in the city had been born in Turkey; and 588 residents gave Turkish as their main language. Main language figures leave out the many bilingual residents who use English day to day, so the number who speak the language at home is higher still.

Working for Birmingham

Turkish families run many of Birmingham's barbers, grill restaurants, bakeries and grocery shops, and Turkish-heritage professionals work in medicine, engineering, construction, finance and education. Turkish students study at the city's universities, and Turkish businesses provide jobs and services in many neighbourhoods.

Every community that has settled in Birmingham has helped to shape it. Newcomers have filled gaps in the workforce, opened shops and restaurants, and raised children who have gone on to become the city's doctors, teachers, engineers and entrepreneurs. The Turkish community is part of that tradition of hard work and ambition, and of the city's own motto: Forward.

Culture and community life

Eid, known in Turkish as Bayram, is a time for family visits and sweets. Turkish tea and coffee, baklava, lahmacun and grilled kebabs are loved across the city, and Turkish music, football and the tradition of generous hospitality bring people together.

In a city where scores of languages are spoken, the Turkish community adds another voice to the conversation. Its members, old and new, are helping to make Birmingham the confident, outward-looking city it wants to be.