APeopleIndependent states
Turkmens
Regarded as direct heirs of the Oghuz. The tribes that founded the Seljuk Empire were Oghuz-Turkmen, and the poet Magtymguly Pyragy is the summit of Turkmen literature.
The Turkmens are a Turkic people of the Oghuz branch. In the Middle Ages the name "Turkmen" was given to Oghuz tribes that had embraced Islam, and the tribes that founded the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century were Oghuz-Turkmen. Turkmens are famous for Akhal-Teke horses and hand-knotted carpets.
Turkmenistan became independent in 1991. Large Turkmen communities live in Iran's Turkmen Sahra region, in northern Afghanistan and in Uzbekistan. The 18th-century poet Magtymguly Pyragy is a national symbol for all Turkmens.
Updated: September 28, 2026