1990'ların ortasından bu zamana İstanbulda'ki Ermeni hareketi içerisindeki yarılmanın ana eksenleri: Yarılmanın temel nedenleri ve konuları

This thesis examines the main axes of the fragmentation within the Armenian movement in Istanbul since the mid-1990s. Parallel to the democratization and demilitarization processes regarding the recently emerged identity-based movements in the post-1980 coup d'état period, Armenians in Turkey found room for raising their voice and addressing their problems, especially since the mid-1990s. This thesis contends that the Armenian movement since then has been primarily shaped by the fragmentation between two groups called the "extroversive" and "introversive" groups. Each group has followed different strategies, goals and framings when approaching their main concerns. Through 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews and one conversation over e-mail with Armenians from different institutions and organizations in Istanbul, this thesis investigates the underlying reasons for and issues of such fragmentation. These institutions include: the newspaper AGOS, Hrant Dink Foundation, Armenian Culture and Solidarity Association, Nor Zartonk, and the Faith and Social Solidarity Association of the Armenians of Dersim for the category of the extroversive group, and the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, two Armenian Foundations, a Bible reading group, and an Armenian school for the category of the introversive group. This study highlights three main reasons of the fragmentation, namely: key ideological differences among diverse actors, current developments such as the different political opportunities and constraints that diverse actors feel are accessible for them, and different readings of historical developments by these actors. Three main issues to which the fragmentation can be related refer to the question of what it means to be an Armenian, the relations of Armenians with the state, and patriarchal authority in the Armenian society/community. Consequently, this study contributes to the literature on diversity within social movements which study social movements by considering their fragmentations and internal instabilities, rather than considering them as a whole, homogeneous entity. Keywords: Armenians, Istanbul, social movements, diversity, axes of fragmentation, minorities.