Turkey’s Europeanization Process and The Return of the Syriacs

Abstract

The history of the Syriac community in Turkey, especially in Southeastern Anatolia, spans millennia, though from the 1960s on Syriacs have emigrated, primarily to European countries, due to socioeconomic and security issues. Since 2000, a significant number of Syriacs have begun to return to their former lands. This study shows that the return migration of the Syriacs is a reflection of another development that has gained momentum in the 2000s, namely Turkey’s Europeanization process and the resultant relative increase in security in southeastern Anatolia. The study also provides information on the structure and probable impact of the Syriacs’ return migration.

Notes

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2. Caroline B. Brettell and James F. Hollifield, “Introduction: Migration Theory,” in Caroline B. Brettell and James F. Hollifield (eds.), Talking Across Disciplines (New York: Routledge, 2000), pp. 1–27.

3. Barry R. Chiswick. “Are Immigrants Favorably Self‐Selected,” in Caroline B. Brettell and James F. Hollifield (eds.), Talking Across Disciplines (New York: Routledge, 2000), pp. 61–77.

4. For examples, see Dino Cinel, The International Integration of Italian Return Migration 1870–1929 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991); Takeyuki Tsuda, Strangers in the Ethnic Homeland: Japanese Brazilian Return Migration in Transnational Perspective (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003); Marjory Harper (ed.), Emigrant Homecomings: The Return Movement of Emigrants 1600–2000 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2005); and Ali S. Gitmez, Yurtdışına İşçi Göçü ve Geri Dönüşler [Workers’ Migration Abroad and Their Return] (Istanbul: Alan Yayıncılık, 1983).

5. Aziz Günel, Türk Süryaniler Tarihi [The History of Turkish Syriacs] (Diyarbakır: Syriac Church, 1970); Aziz Koluman, Ortadoğu’da Süryanilik: Dini‐Sosyal‐Kültürel Hayat [The Syriacs in the Middle East: Religious‐Social‐Cultural Life] (Ankara: Asam Yayınları, 1981), p. 19.

6. Günel, Türk Süryaniler Tarihi, p. 30.

7. Mehmet Çelik, Süryani Tarihi I (Ankara: Ayraç Yayınevi, 1996), p. 15; Yakup Bilge, Geçmişten Günümüze Süryaniler [Syriacs, From Past to Present] (Istanbul: Zvi‐Geyik Yayınları, 2001), p. 27.

8. Bilge, Geçmişten Günümüze Süryaniler, p. 28.

9. Mehmet Şimşek, Süryaniler ve Diyarbakır [Syriacs and Diyarbakır] (Istanbul: Chiviyazıları, 2003); Çelik, Süryani Tarihi I, p. 15.

10. Gabriele Yonan, Asur Soykırımı: Unutulan Bir Holocaust [Assyrian Genocide: A Forgotten Holocaust] (Istanbul: Pencere Yayınları, 1999); Bilge, Geçmişten Günümüze Süryaniler.

11. Bilge, Geçmişten Günümüze Süryaniler, p. 21.

12. Jan Pacal, “What Happened to the Turkish Assyrians?” Turkish Daily News, August 29, 2006.

13. Bilge, Geçmişten Günümüze Süryaniler, p. 99; Ahmet Taşğın, “Anadolu’nun Yok Olmaya Yüz Tutan Zenginliklerinden: Süryaniler,” [Nearly Endangered Richness of Anatolia: Syriacs] VI. Milletlerarası Türk Halk Kültürü Kongresi Genel Konular Seksiyon Bildirileri (Ankara: Kültür Bakanlığı Yayınları, 2001), pp. 205–27.

14. Electronic correspondence with Fikri Aygür, deputy head of the European Syriac Union (September 26, 2008).

15. Cengiz Aktar, Avrupa Okumaları [Europe Readings] (Istanbul: Kanat, 2003); UPSAM (International Politics and Strategy Research Centre), AB Yolunda Türkiye Raporu (2006), http://www.doratasarim.com/upsam/node/249 [ accessed May 25, 2008].

16. European Commission, 2002 Regular Report from the Commission on Turkey’s Progress towards Accession (2002), http://www.abgs.gov.tr/files/AB_Iliskileri/Tur_En_Realitons/Progress/Turkey_Progress_Report_2002.pdf [accessed June 14, 2008]; European Commission, 2003 Regular Report From the Commission on Turkey’s Progress Towards Accession, 2003, http://www.abgs.gov.tr/files/AB_Iliskileri/Tur_En_Realitons/Progress/Turkey_Progress_Report_2003.pdf [accessed June 14, 2008].

17. European Commission, 2002 Regular Report, p. 137.

18. Since it is relevant to the present subject matter, for detailed information on legislation pertaining to non‐Muslim minorities see Şule Toktaş, “EU Enlargement Conditions and Minority Protection: A Reflection on Turkey’s Non‐Muslim Minorities,” East European Quarterly Vol. 40, No. 4, (2006), pp. 489–518.

19. European Commission, 2003 Regular Report.

20. Because of their refusal, the names of some interviewees are not given.

21. Email communication with Şabo Boyacı (February 28, 2008) and interview with Yakup Gabriel (June 7, 2008).

22. The names within parentheses are the original Syriac names of the villages while the others are the ones given by the Turkish state. Still, the original names are widely used by non‐Syriac people as well as by Syriacs.

23. Bilge, Geçmişten Günümüze Süryaniler, p. 53.

24. Yonan, Asur Soykırımı, p. 29.

25. Interview with Ibrahim Golo (June 7, 2008).

26. Email communication with Özcan Geçer (June 23, 2008).

27. Interview with Yakup Gabriel.

28. Ibid.

29. Interview with Ibrahim Golo.

30. Şabo Boyacı, “2004’e Girerken,” http://suryaniler.com/konuk-yazarlar.asp?id=320, (2004) [accessed June 12, 2008].

31. Email communication with Özcan Geçer (June 23, 2008).

32. Adnan Avuka, “Midyat’ın Dağ Köylerinde Süryanilerin Lüks Tatili,” [The Luxury Holiday of Syriacs in the Mountain Villages of Midyat] Milliyet Daily, June 18, 2008.

33. Interview with Yakup Gabriel.

34. Email communication with Özcan Geçer (June 23, 2008) and Şabo Boyacı (February 28, 2008).

35. Elif Görgü, “Mezopotamya Bahçesine Bahar Geldi,” [The Spring Has Come to the Garden of Mesopotamia] Evrensel Daily, April 8, 2007.

36. Interview with Mustafa Ayzig (September 23, 2008).

37. Eurobarometer, “Eurobarometer 67, Public Opinion in the European Union: National Report Executive Summary‐Turkey,” http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb67/eb67_tr_exec.pdf, (2007) [accessed June 18, 2008].

38. A&G Research, “AB’ye Üyelik?,” [Membership to the EU?] 2008, http://www.agarastirma.com.tr/arastirmalar/ab_uyelik.pdf [accessed June 18, 2008], p. 6.

39. Jeffrey T. Checkel, “Social Construction and Integration,” Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 6, No. 4 (1999), pp. 545–60; Jeffrey T. Checkel, “(Regional) Norms and (Domestic) Social Mobilization: Citizenship Politics in Post‐Maastricht, Post‐Cold War Germany,” Arena Working Papers 1999/3, Oslo: University of Oslo.

40. Toktaş, “EU Enlargement Conditions and Minority Protection.”