[Turk2]

Those people were probably Sephardic Jews that fled from the Spanish Inquisition primarily around 1492. Their 'native tongue' is Judeo-Spanish and is still being used by some Turkish Jews. Here's a link to an 8 page weekly newspaper [1 page in Judeo-Spanish] published in Turkey called Salom [pronounced Shalom].

And here's an article in Judeo-Spanish:

Mesaje del Vice Primer Ministro Mesut Yilmaz a la komunita djudia de Turkia

A la okazyon de la fiesta de Pessah, el Prezidente del Partido Politiko ANAP el Sinyor Mesut Yilmaz, Viçe primer Ministro del Governo Turko, adreso al grande Rabinato el mesaje de felisitasyon siguiente:

''Pessah es la fyesta ande se komemora en el entuzyasmo, la kontentes i los sentimyentos de ermandad, la liberasyon de los ijos de Israel salvados del esklavaje en Ayifto. Suetamos a muestros sitizanos de konfesyon djudia ke esta Fyesta sea syempre para eyos un simbolo de paz i de amistad i les auguramos salud buena i Alegria.

Vice Primer Ministro Mesut Yilmaz.

El Prezidente de la Prefektura de Sisli Mustafa Sarigül i el Müftü de Estambol Tayyar Tas ekspresaron tambyen sus suetos.

[Don Carlos]

Thanks for the info. We had contact with these people for only one evening, and neither of us really picked up on their background, other than that they had fled the inquisition. Apparently Adana has a small community of them.

Your post brings me a measure of satisfaction, knowing that I hadn't really just dreamed this up. Have mentioned it several times over the years, and most people just reply with strange looks, then change the conversation.