Conflict and Cultural Identity: Meskhetian Turks

Abstract

This paper is the representation of an on-going project on a refugee group, called Meskhetian Turks. The larger project is an exploration of Meskhetian Turks‟ ethnic identity through in-depth interviews aiming to understand how Meskhetians perceive their own cultural identity, their connection to Turks and Turkey, and their place in the American society. By exploring these three areas, I aim to understand how these three aspects connect together to form the Meskhetian cultural identity. The preliminary results of the research demonstrate that the Meskhetian cultural identity is strongly tied to the conflicts they encountered.In this paper, I offer insight to the historical context of conflicts which led to their current situation, and an understanding of the connection between conflict and ethnic identity. Finally, I discuss language, religion and connection to Turkey as three major aspects of their identity, which is derived as a result of their displacement.