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Gagauz
Orthodox Oghuz Turks of southern Moldova. Since 1994 they have had the autonomy of Gagauzia, with its capital at Comrat.
The Gagauz are a Turkic people of the Oghuz branch and one of the few Turkic peoples who adopted Christianity. In the 18th–19th centuries they moved from the Balkans, mostly from today's north-eastern Bulgaria, to the Budjak steppe. Gagauz is very close to Turkish.
In 1994 the autonomous territorial unit of Gagauzia was created within Moldova, with its capital at Comrat. Gagauz people also live in Ukraine's Odesa region and in Russia.
Updated: September 28, 2026