RECENT STUDIES SHOW THAT 90% OF ISTANBUL’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IS TURKISH SPEAKING, AND MIXED MARRIAGES MAKE 40%

Noyan Tapan
Feb 3, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. In the context of the current
development of Armenian-Turkish relations, the Armenian community of
Turkey is an ignored or not much discussed problem, Ruben Melkonian,
a Turkologist, Deputy Dean of Yerevan State University Department
of Oriental Studies said at the January 29 press conference. In his
opinion, a careful examination of the problems of Turkey’s Armenian
community may play an important role in the future, after the possible
establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations. He divided the Armenians
living in Turkey into two groups: the "official" Armenians – members
of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholics, and Protestants; and
the generations of Armenians converted to Islam in various centuries.

R. Melkonian said that in the 1920s, that is in the first years
of the Republic of Turkey, there were 250-300 thousand Armenians –
members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Today their number makes
55-60 thousand, and most of them live in Istanbul.

According to him, the Armenians living in Turkey have a number of
problems, one of which is related to schools. There are currently 17
Armenian schools in Istanbul instead of previous 32 ones. R. Melkonian
said that yet another Armenian school was closed a month ago due to
the lack of pupils. "The total number of pupils is 3,000. The lack
of pupils is a continuous problem: each year Armenian schools lose
150-200 pupils. If this situation remains, several Armenian schools
will also close in the coming years," R. Melkonian noted.

In his words, the second problem facing the Armenian community in
Istanbul is related to language. Recent studies showed that 90% of
the city’s Armenian community is Turkish speaking, and only 7-10%
of young people aged 19-24 speak Armenian. Mixed marriages represent
yet another problem. "The Armenian communities have alsways attached
special importance to internal marriages, but this custom has seriously
corroded in Turkey in recent years. Mixed marriages in the Armenian
community of Istanbul make 40% now. It is a dangerous index.

Unless this changes, several decades later the Armenian community of
Istanbul may be on the verge of extinction," R. Melkonian said.