TURKEY'S ARMENIANS: A RESEARCH NOTE ON ARMENIAN IDENTITY

Abstract

The aim of this research note is to describe how Turkey's Armenians, who are the largest non-Muslim minority group in the country, define their identity, and to understand which factors contribute to the perpetuation of a dominant Armenian identity. This discussion is based on a field survey of Turkey's Armenian community, conducted in Istanbul between November 2004 and May 2005. Evaluation of these surveys based on both quantitative and qualitative methods brings us to the conclusion that it is possible to argue about the degree of dominance of Armenian identity over Turkish national identity amongst Turkey's Armenians, more than 95 per cent of whom live in Istanbul, and that the strong community ties play a significant role in maintaining Armenian culture and, therefore, strengthening Armenian identity.