Azerbaijanis in Turkey

Azerbaijanis in Turkey are Turkish citizens and permanent residents of ethnic Azerbaijani background. It is difficult to determine the exact number of ethnic Azerbaijanis currently residing in Turkey since the Turkish government is known to be repressive towards other ethnicities. According to some estimates, there are currently around 800,000 Twelver Shias in Turkey, however this figure may differ substantially from the real one. There are up to 4,500,000 Azerbaijani citizens who reside in Turkey, according to information provided by the Diaspora Committee of Azerbaijan, although the factual accuracy of this figure is disputed. They are currently the second ethnic group in the city of Iğdır and second largest ethnic group in Kars, where they constitute majority in the district of Akyaka (Azerbaijani: Şörəyel).