Turkey: Greeks and Armenians in History Textbooks (1930–2010)

Abstract

This article examines the Turkish national identity and image of its others by focusing on Turkish history textbooks from the establishment of Turkish Republic in 1923 until the present day. An analysis the main themes that stand out in Turkish history textbooks for the high school level shows that Greeks and Armenians stand out as the others of Turkish national identity. The textbooks reflect a binary world vision defined by friends and enemies, who pose external and internal threats to the Turkish nation. This leads to the creation of a delegitimized and dehumanized other, and an elevated self-image characterized by heroism, endurance, courage, justness and tolerance. The article also shows that the portrayal of Greeks and Armenians in history textbooks has not been static. It is possible to observe both continuities and changes in the manner in which they have been depicted over the years. The most significant change is the entry of a discussion of the Armenian community into the textbooks in the early 1980s. Until the publication of the third generation textbooks towards the beginning of 1980s, only the Greeks appear as the significant other of the Turkish national identity. The textbooks before this period portray a general silence regarding the Armenian community, the Armenian deportation and 1915 incidents.