Greeks in Turkey - Name

Name

The Greeks of Turkey are referred to in Turkish as Rumlar, meaning "Romans". This derives from self-designation "Ρωμιοί" (Rhomioi) used by Greeks in the Middle Ages, who saw themselves as the heirs to the Roman Empire. The ethnonym "Yunanlar" is exclusively used by Turks to refer to Greeks from Greece and not for the population of Turkey. In Greek, Greeks from Asia Minor are referred to as "Μικρασιάτες" or "Ανατολίτες" (Mikrasiates or Anatolites, lit. "Asia Minor-ites" or "Anatolians"), while Greeks from Pontos are known as Πόντιοι (Pontioi). Greeks from Istanbul are known as "Κωνσταντινουπολίτες" (Konstantinoupolites, lit. "Constantinople-ites"), most oftened shortened to "Πολίτες" (Polites, pronounced po-LEE-tes). Those who arrived during the 1923 Population exchange between Greece and Turkey are also referred to as "Πρόσφυγες" (Prosfyges, i.e. "Refugees").