Today, in the Light of the Collective Memory, Istanbul Rums Cover Image

Kolektif Belleğín Işiğinda Günümüzde Ístanbul Rumlari
Today, in the Light of the Collective Memory, Istanbul Rums

Author(s): Birol Caymaz, Duygu Çanakçı
Subject(s): Social differentiation, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Identity of Collectives
Published by: Rasim Özgür DÖNMEZ
Keywords: Greeks in Turkey/in Istanbul; Being « Other »; Otherised; Minority; Non-Muslim;

Summary/Abstract: How the collective memory and the changing conjuncture affect the Istanbul Greeks? In this paper the subject of “being other” is studied by examining Greeks (“Rûm”) living in Turkey. In this respect the main problematic is investigated through semi structured interviews in order to understand if Greeks who are living in Turkey felt themselves otherised by the government and the society. To begin with, it could be said that in the historical process in many events they had been “otherised” or “foreign” by the society and in the changing and transforming environment, they are still continued to be otherised. Although some of them state that they have been otherised socially while the others indicate that they feel as “other” because of the public regulations, they do not want to attribute the otherisation behaviour to the whole society. To conclude, groups that are not a part of the sunni-muslim society have been otherised commonly which could also be understood by examining the decrerasing numbers of Greek people living in Turkish society. However, it is important to note that in this study a limited sample could be examined only, therefore the results do not reflect the general outlook.

  • Issue Year: 6/2014
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 300-330
  • Page Count: 31
  • Language: Turkish