Armenians
All topics-
Jerusalem's Armenian community
"An existential struggle in defence of our heritage"
The Armenian community in Jerusalem has established a protest camp to defend their church's property against attacks by Jewish settlers. They are fighting for land, democracy and dignity.
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The deserted villages of the soul
Yavuz Ekinci's new novel
Armenian genocide denial is a great and enduring lie by the Turkish state, characterised by ongoing violence and racism. Yavuz Ekinci takes up the subject in an unsparing and powerful novel: "Das ferne Dorf meiner Kindheit" – 'the distant village of my childhood'. Gerrit Wustmann read the book
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Ataturk's republic turns 100
Turkey's enduring identity crisis
To mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, German journalist and Qantara.de contributor Cigdem Akyol has written a new history of what she calls "the divided republic". Marian Brehmer read the book
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The Armenian genocide
"Genocide is a feminist issue"
Dots, crosses, lines: tattoos like these were inked on surviving Armenian women after the genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Historian Elyse Semerdjian uses the tattoos to tell their story. Interview by Anna-Theresa Bachmann
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Challenging Turkish history from the ground up
"The stories of our families"
More and more voices are being raised in Turkey that challenge previous versions of the country's history. These alternative accounts, still largely ignored by official quarters, are breaching longstanding taboos and deconstructing the political narrative. By Ceyda Nurtsch
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The Turkish state and the Kurdish question
Turkey – a battle of narratives
For a century, the Kurds and other minorities in Turkey have been subject to state repression. With his dissertation "The Kurdish Question in Turkey", political analyst Ismail Kupeli presents a new research paper on the topic. Interview by Gerrit Wustmann
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Public opinion in Turkey
Dreaming of a greater republic
Many Turks are dissatisfied with the international status of their country. At the same time, opinion polls reveal great scepticism among the Turkish population towards the USA. By Ronald Meinardus
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Turkey and Central Asia
One nation, six states?
Turkey is turning towards the Turkic nations of Central Asia, intensifying its economic, diplomatic and military relationships with these countries. So what is driving Turkey’s Central Asia policy? Are we seeing a resurgence in nationalist Pan-Turkic geopolitics? Essay by Yasar Aydin
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Middle East
Water resources – another conflict trigger?
From the Euphrates to the Mekong, dams that ensure one country's water supply risk leaving others parched. But shared water resources can be a source of peace as well as conflict. By Ruby Russell
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Aegean tensions on the rise
Erdogan's "charm offensive" doesn't include Greece
It seems yesterday's words are water under the bridge. Turkish foreign policy is currently undergoing a profound re-orientation: declared enemies are to become partners, opponents allies. But not when it comes to Greece. By Ronald Meinardus
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Turkey-Armenia relations
Normalisation after 31 years of tension?
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement kicked off in Moscow in January, after a break of 13 years. This time, focusing on relatively easy fixes such as trade and transportation, both countries are emphasising a lack of pre-conditions. Turkey is nevertheless reluctant to let third countries, such as Russia, to play a role in the process. By Leyla Egeli
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The fate of the Armenians
Vakıflı: The last Armenian village in Turkey
The village of Vakıflı (population 150) in the southern Turkish province of Hatay near the Syrian border is the last remaining Armenian village in Turkey. Lately, interest in the town and the history of Armenians has been growing. By Jochen Menzel