PANEL: 100 Years Turkish Republic, 100 Years Resistance

Saturday, 28 October, 18:30h, at Atelierhaus, Lehargass 8, 1060 Vienna || Music & drinks afterwards

The Republic of Turkey was founded with the postulate of a homogeneous and unchangeable Turkish language, culture and history. Parts of the population which were considered different were subjected to a brutal assimilation policy and attempted to be wiped out through genocides, expulsion and massacres. This violent nation-building process has left its traces in the experiences of Armenian, Kurdish, Alevi, Yezidi, Assyrian, Greek and other marginalised populations in Turkey to this day.
The violent Turkification of the pluralistic society of the region is also reflected in Turkey's growing expansionist ambitions as in its attempts to assert claims to Rojava, Armenia and Cyprus through military occupation.

In the panel, representatives of Kurdish, Armenian, Alevi and Cypriot communities share experiences of societies affected by Turkey's nation-building process and stories of their resistance.

With an introduction by Dr. Ismail Küpeli, political scientist focussing on nationalist ideologies and author of "The Kurdish Question in Turkey - on the violent imposition of nation-statehood".

Organised by the alliance Defend Kurdistan, follow on insta: @defendkurdistan_wien