ON MODERN TENDENCIES IN TURKISH ETHNIC POLICY
Ruben Melkonyan
06.10.2011
In both the Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic ethnic orientation in
domestic policy took an important place. At the same time it should be
mentioned that the Turkish ethnic policy has acquired more acute and
aggressive character due to the fact that the main goal of the state
policy and objective reality seriously contradict each other. Thus,
in such multi-ethnic states as the Ottoman Empire and Turkey they
contemplated to create homogeneous society and in order to gain their
aim they were exterminating and assimilating some nations.
>From the very beginning ethnic policy of the Turkish Republic assumed
aggressive shape and the most vivid example is the once accomplice
perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide – Kurds. Thus, it is known
in the Turkish Republic they had not recognized the existence of
the Kurdish nation and Kurdish language for many decades. Later on,
alongside the sharpening of the Kurdish issue state policy has also
undergone some changes.
The Justice and Development Party, which came to power in 2002,
carried out the policy of splitting and debilitation. The Turkish
authorities managed to drive a wedge between different Kurdish
regions. In particular, Kurdish militants in Turkey are divided into
two camps – pro-government (“korucu”) and oppositional (represented
by the Kurdish Worker’s Party). It should also be mentioned that here
Turkish propaganda machinery tries to use anti-Armenian moods present
in the society and from time to time different Turkish figures make
statements that supposedly the Kurdish Worker’s Party is the Armenian
organization.
Besides, there are pro-government and oppositional Kurdish figures
in the political field in Turkey who have conflicting approaches on
various issues. Including of the Kurds in the state management system
by the ruling party as well as granting some privileges to them in
the economic sphere drew many Kurds to the pro-governmental camp. Let
us also mention that about 30% of the deputies of the ruling party in
the parliament are also ethnic Kurds and in eastern provinces there
are Kurds among the heads of the regional branches of the Justice
and Development Party.
Over the recent period new rather interesting but at the same time
dangerous tendencies can be observed in the ethnic policy carried out
in the eastern regions of the country, which are mainly inhabited by
the Kurds.
Thus, one of the main arguments of the Kurdish claims is considered
to be the fact that they constitute absolute majority in some eastern
regions of Turkey and, in fact, those regions are homogenous, i.e.
Kurdish. Of course such a situation was formed as a result of the
genocide policy implemented by the Ottoman authorities when the
native population of those lands – Armenians, was exterminated. But
currently Turkish authorities try to dispute the homogeneousness of
those territories, and with this purpose, they tend to use the factor
of the forcedly Islamized Armenians.
For some time the official Turkish historians keep saying that there
are many converted Armenians in the eastern regions of Turkey. Of
course, definite Turkish state institutions have been aware of that
for a while and they did their best to control and finalize the
assimilation of those splinters of the Armeniancy. As they have not
fully succeeded in this issue, now Turkish authorities try to turn
it to advantage.
Stirring up the issue of the splinters of the Armenians living on the
territory of historical Armenia, Turkish authorities try to use it
to prove that those regions are not “homogeneously Kurdish” and that
there are also other ethnic groups. We believe that the attempts of
restoration of the Armenian churches can also be considered in this
context. All this can cause tension between the Kurds and converted
Armenians and have unexpected consequences as the Kurds may start
treating those Armenians as competitors.
However, currently it should be mentioned that slight attempts
of revival of the Armenian presence are considered positively and
sometimes are even countenanced in the Kurdish environment either;
anyway threat should also be taken into consideration.
Pursuing the analysis of the modern tendencies of the ethnic policy
it should be mentioned that the Turkish authorities try to restrict
and balance the Armenian presence in Istanbul and other places by the
Assyrian factor. The Turkish authorities aspire to make amendments in
the relations between the Armenians and Assyrians which are the second
biggest Christian community in the country. In particular, as a result
of a tacit competition between the Armenians and Assyrians in some
arts and crafts the Armenians are gradually driven out from jeweller’s
art in Istanbul and their places are taken by the Assyrians. The
latest vivid example of the attitude of the Turkish state can is the
fact that one deputy was elected to the parliament from the Assyrian
community which number is 7000, meanwhile the Armenian community,
which numbers 60 thousand people, in fact either did not manage or
was not allowed to do that.
Summarizing we can mention that the all those facts allow us affirming
that today one of the main tendencies in the Turkish ethnic policy
is maintaining balance by opposing the interests of different ethnic
groups. Recently president Abdullah Gul has also made a statement
on the ethnic policy carried out by Turkey: “Ethnic, cultural and
religious differences may cause split and tension in the society but
the state should be able to control the situation”.
Thus, we may say that the ethnic policy still takes an important
place in the domestic policy of Turkey and tendencies observed at
first sight may seem to be positive but at the same time the traps
and threats should not be excluded either.
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Another materials of author
~UDEVELOPMENTS AMONG THE ASSIMILATED ARMENIANS IN TURKEY:
DYARBAKIR[28.07.2011] ~UTHE MODERN ISSUES OF THE CIRCASSIANS IN TURKEY
[07.07.2011] ~UON THE MODERN TENDENCIES IN THE “ARMENIAN POLICY”
OF TURKEY [20.06.2011] ~UON TURKISH POLICY OF NEO-OTTOMANISM AND
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD[18.04.2011] ~UARMENIAN VARTO CLAN IN
EUROPE [28.02.2011]
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