In his book Gypsy Music, Bálint Sárosi states that the Augmented Second --- as found between the second and third, third and fourth, sixth and seventh in a lot of Gypsy as well as Indian and Middle Eastern music --- came into the music of Eastern Europe (specifically Hungary) through the influence of the Ottoman Empire (who I also understand created cymbals and brass instruments.)
I also find the augmented second in Indian, as well as Middle Eastern music and am hoping someone can shed some light on where it might have come to Turkey from and potentially its earliest examples in folk music.