Ayrımcılık ve sessizlik: Türkiye'deki azınlık vakıfları üzerine bir çalışma (1974)

In 1974, the dispute between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus had resulted in the Turkish military Intervention in the island. The same year, the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals issued a legal decision that rendered possible the confiscation of properties belonging to non-Muslim minority foundations in the years to come. Turkish citizens of Greek origin (Rums), Armenians, and Jews, who are regarded as unreliable citizens especially in times of foreign disagreements, all suffered from the conflict atmosphere. Although studies on minority foundations largely concentrate on the political and legal policies toward minority institutions, there is lack of research on how discriminatory policies were implemented in the societal and cultural levels. This thesis helps to understand the mechanisms through which discrimination is legalized, legitimized, and concealed in the cultural sphere. Relying on content analysis of three Turkish and one minority newspapers published in 1974, I first discuss the appearance of the negative attitudes toward Greeks, Cypriot Greeks, and Rums through news coverage of the major events such as mass demonstrations, state ceremonies, media organizations, and political debates. Second, I examine the concealment of the discrimination building upon the lack of news coverage of the Supreme Court decision allowing the confiscation minority foundations? properties. Accordingly, this thesis attempts to show that discriminatory policies toward minorities in the legal and political arenas are perpetuated in the social and cultural spheres through a campaign of silence on the matter.Keywords: Minorities, discrimination, citizenship, nationalism, reciprocity, silence