The Balkan Turks refers to the Turkish people who have been living in the Balkans since the Ottoman rule as well as their descendants who still live in the region today. The Turks are officially recognized as a minority in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, and Romania; in Greece the Turkish minority are recognized as "Greek Muslims". Furthermore, the Turkish language is an official language of Kosovo and has minority status in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, and Romania. The Ottoman Empire conquered parts of the Balkans between the 14th and 16th century.
Historically, from the Ottoman conquest up to and including the 19th century, ethnically non-Turkish, especially South Slavic Muslims of the Balkans were referred to in the local languages as "Turks". This usage is common in literature, for example in the works of Ivan Mažuranić and Petar II Petrović-Njegoš. However, during the 20th century it gradually fell out of favour. Today, the largest mainly Muslim Slavic ethnic group is known as the Bosniaks.