Rethinking Ottoman Cross-Cultural Encounters: Turks and the Armenian Alphabet

Abstract

This article aims to show how and why Armeno-Turkish, or Ottoman Turkish written in Armenian letters, especially throughout the nineteenth century, was not merely an Armenian phenomenon but rather a cultural reflection of a larger Ottoman history. The article begins with a critique of the literature on the Ottoman millets and the interaction among them. It then presents examples of Turkish statesmen, authors, and journalists who were either aware of or could read Armeno-Turkish, and explores how Armeno-Turkish might have served as a written lingua franca among the members of different ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups in the Ottoman Empire. Finally, it concludes with a number of reflections on the possible reasons for Turksʼ interest in the Armenian script. The article thus aims to contribute to the debate over the Ottoman millet system from the perspective of cross-cultural exchanges and encounters among the different peoples of the Ottoman Empire.