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Turkey: a Cultural Genocide

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Abstract

The notion of ‘genocide’ was first defined by R. Lemkin, a specialist in criminal and international law, in his book entitled Axis Rule in Occupied Europe. 1 According to Lemkin, genocide is the physical annihilation of an ethnic and religious group as well as the elimination of its national culture. As a crime against a nation or a people, genocide accordingly includes ‘national vandalism’. A number of specialists also believe that the definition of genocide also includes the notion of ‘cultural genocide’. Thus, Israel W. Charny of the University of Tel Aviv and Director of the Jerusalem Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, believes that the prohibition of a native language may also be defined as genocide, and suggests another term, linguicide’.2 Speaking of the Armenian Genocide, Samuel Totten of the University of Arkansas considers the vandalism against Armenian cultural monuments an act of genocide.3

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Notes

  1. Raphael Lemkin, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe ( Washington: Carnegie Endowment for World Peace, 1944 ).

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  2. Israel W. Charny, ‘Genocide: the Ultimate Human Rights Problem’, Genocide, Social Sciences Record 24, no. 2 (1987): 4.

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  3. Samuel Totten, ‘Genocide: a Primer for Students in Grades 8–12’, Genocide, Social Sciences Record 24, no. 2 (1987): 9–10.

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  4. See S. Kolanchian,‘Haykakan kotoradznere yev mer dzeragrakan korustnere’ (The Armenian massacres and our manuscript losses), Etchmiatzin 2, no. 4 (1965): 97–107.

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  5. A. Safrastian, ‘Kostantnunopolsi Hayotz Patriarkarani koghmitz Tùrkiayi Ardaradatutyan yev Tavanankneri Nakhararutyan nerkayatzvads yekeghetrineri tzutzaknern ou takrirnere, 1912–1913’ [The list of churches and decrees presented by the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople to the Ministry of Justice and Religion of Thrkey, 1912–1913], Etchmiadzin 1 (1965): 42.

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  6. See M. Ormanian, Hayotz Yegeghetzi [The Armenian Church] (Istanbul, 1913), pp. 259–64.

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  7. Esat Uras, Tarihte Ermeniler ve ermeni meselasi [The Armenians in History and the Armenian Question] (Istanbul, 1950), p. 3.

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  8. Arin Engin, Eti Tarihi [Hittite History] (Istanbul, 1958);

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  9. Fakhreddin Kirzioglu, Kars Tarihi [History of Kars] (Istanbul, 1953).

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  10. I. C. Ozkaya, Le Peuple arménien et les tentatives de réduire le peuple turc en servitude (Istanbul, 1971 ).

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  11. Christopher J. Walker, Armenia: the Survival of a Nation ( London: St. Martin’s, 1980 ).

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  12. D. M. Lang, The Armenians: a People in Exile (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1981 ).

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  13. E. Arseven, Türk sanati tarihi [History of Turkish Crafts] (Istanbul, 1950);

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  14. T. Öz, Turkish Ceramics (Ankara, 1955);

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  15. A. R. Altinay, Türk mimarlari [Turkish Architects] (Istanbul, 1977 ).

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  16. U. A. Miller, Iskustvo Turtsiyi [The Art of Turkey] (Moscow—Leningrad, 1965 ).

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© 1999 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited

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Hovanissian, A. (1999). Turkey: a Cultural Genocide. In: Chorbajian, L., Shirinian, G. (eds) Studies in Comparative Genocide. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27348-5_8

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