Nor Zartonk

FERHAT KENTEL
The results of the study titled “Being a Minority in Turkey”, based on a questionnaire prepared by the Nor Zartonk group and evaluated by the Social Research Centre, has been published in the newspaper Agos in recent weeks.
Focusing particularly on Armenians living in Turkey who especially dwell in and around Istanbul with a population of between 60 and 80 thousand, the research bore a significant claim. First of all, with this research at hand, which aims at representing the Armenian population in the best possible way, a minority group would be able to “reflect upon themselves”. Such a study, at least when we consider how it was reflected in public, was a first in its field. Its being the initial case in point certainly led to the occurrence of some problems and difficulties.
In the first place, it was not possible to carry out the study with “an arbitrary method” of going around the streets and visiting the residences one by one. In a metropolitan city like Istanbul, with a population of 15 million people, the number of houses to be visited would be extremely high, when we consider the fact that the studied group consisted of 70 thousand people spreading over many districts, although the group was denser in certain areas. With a rough calculation, more than 20 thousand people had to be interviewed in order to reach 100 people that constitute a case in point. In other words, more than 200 houses had to be visited in order to find 1 house where Armenians resided. Instead of this “arbitrary” method, the cost of which is extremely hard to cover, another method was selected: just as a snowball grows bigger when rolling in snow, each residence that was visited was used as guidance to visit other residences with Armenians.
However, “the snowball method”, which ignores the principle of “chance of equality”, which is a basic feature of the science of statistics that constitutes a base for legitimacy in quantitative methods, was proved to be relatively weak. This weakness of the method has made itself clear in the Nor Zartonk questionnaire. For instance, in relation with the high number of young people who conducted the questionnaire, those who were questioned were dominantly young people, when the total of 459 participants is concerned. In this case, we might evaluate the study as a resource that provides information for the group investigated and the differences among the group members, rather than constituting a base for statistical legitimacy.
Despite the deficiency of the study mentioned above, the study, “Being a Minority in Turkey” may be shown as a perfect example for the efforts of a certain social- cultural group to reflect upon themselves. And with this feature, the study bears clues showing that the greater community in which Armenians live also has to think upon themselves as a whole.
The assessment of the study by the Nor Zartonk group, as well as the articles by Aris Nalcı, Markar Esayan and Rober Koptaş that were published in Agos, included the data and the results of the study and further comments. In this article, I would like to summarize the study in a more general framework with the help of other research made on the subject, instead of focusing on the above mentioned evaluations and comments.
“Being an Armenian in Turkey” Read more »

Tamar Nalcı
AGOS
A most interesting and daring survey– “Being an Armenian in Turkey”– was conducted prior to the July 22, 2007 general elections. The survey was accomplished with the help of volunteer journalists from Nor Zartonk, SAM and Agos; and it produced noteworthy conclusions about the state of the Armenian Community in Istanbul.
At a recent panel discussion organized at the Getronagan Alumni Association, Dr. Ferhat Kentel and Ohannes Kılıçdağı, member of the Department of Sociology at Istanbul Bilgi University, were present to expound on the Nor Zartonk survey and its results.
Kılıçdağı spoke about the survey’s shortcomings in format and technique before moving onto specific finds. Accordingly, 37 % of the Armenian Community are college graduates, the Armenians are not as wealthy as presumed (with half of the population’s average income under 2000 YTL per month) and they do not engage in active politics except for voting.
Has Their Identity Become Symbolic?
Ohannes Kılıçdağı spoke about the findings of a similar survey conducted among the American-Armenians back in the 1990s. Referring to a phenomenon that explained the American-Armenians’ behavior becoming ethnically “more symbolic than actual,” he cited the following example: the number of ethnic Armenians in America who displayed, or wore, a cross was greater than those who attended church regularly. In other words, Armenians symbolically displayed their Christianity, but not so much in practice. Kılıçdağı wondered if this same phenomenon was happening among ethnic Armenians in Turkey. Read more »

SİBİL ÇEKMEN
AGOS
On Saturday morning, those who went to İstiklal Street or Galata came face to face with ads of people who “are looking for their relatives” on the walls or columns.
The project “I am looking for my relative”, the first of which was organized by Aris Nalcı in 2006 within the framework of the Galata Visibility Project, has been further developed this year, expanding over the streets of Paris, Karlsruhe, Berlin, Cologne and Beirut. All the 66 different types of ads, with a total of 2000 copies were stuck on the walls on the streets of Galata and Alfortville, Bastille Square, Cologne Cathedral, and Kreuzberg in Berlin. The project, aiming at revealing the fact that all the Armenians who spread over different countries and continents are looking for their lost relatives, has also included the Hadig Group (consisting of the volunteering reporters of Agos), the Nor Zartonk Platform and many other volunteers from Paris and Beirut. Read more »

Rober Koptaş
AGOS
The “Being a Minority in Turkey” survey that was initiated by the Nor Zartonk (New Awakening) group, performed through the contributions of volunteering Agos reporters and the Centre for Social Studies, and covered in depth in Agos for the last three weeks indicates a favourable development for the Armenian community in Turkey. What is pointed out here is a meaningful undertaking that is based on a long-forgotten value, cooperation, sharing of burden and responsibility, and solidarity.
Both Nor Zartonk and the volunteering Agos reporters are the sign of life concerning a handful of Istanbul Armenians who have come together to collaborate, even if in fear, after the terror of January 19. As Nayat Karaköse also mentioned in her article in Agos last week, university students who were forced to “grow old too fast” mostly form these groups. If the synergy they create is oriented toward the right targets, it can serve to heal some of the problems that have become gangrenous in the structure of the community. It would be better to consider some difficulties, disputes and misunderstandings in the implementation of the survey as the result of inexperience as long as mistakes are considered as opportunities to learn so that they can be prevented in future projects. Read more »

Markar Esayan
AGOS
Most of the Armenians who took part in the study think that they are not sufficiently represented.
We continue to share the results of the study jointly undertaken by the Nor Zartonk Platform, Agos and the Center for Social Studies with our readers. In previous weeks, we dwelt on how Armenians of Turkey see themselves, their community and their country. Among the topics covered were education, language, media and the press, mixed marriages, radio, associations, political views and perceptions of the citizenship of Armenians. This week, we devote the last of the series to the study “Being a minority in Turkey”, we present the results pertaining to representation, civic society, Armenians after the murder of Hrant Dink and Armenians´ views on the EU.
The mystery called ´Representation´ Read more »

Markar Esayan
AGOS
The survey “Being Minority in Turkey” explains the situation of Armenians in Turkey with serious data
We continue to publish the striking data of the survey titled “Being Minority in Turkey” carried out with the collaboration of the Nor Zartonk Platform, the Agos´ Volunteers and the Sociological Research Centre (SAM). The survey was realized with the participation of approximately 500 people from the Armenian community in Turkey and was prepared in the extremely sensitive period for Turkey which began with the assassination of Agos founder Hrant Dink on 19 January, and aimed at taking a wide angle photograph of the Armenian community in Turkey. Last week we presented the data shedding light on educational life, and this week we shall examine the political preferences of Armenians, the differences between these preferences and the preferences in 2002 and the meaning of the changes. The research reveals that Agos´s forecasts regarding the political preferences at the 22 July elections fit with the results of the survey. Votes given to independent candidates and the AKP are the manifestation of the will of the Armenian community to be both Armenian and citizens. The Armenians participated in the polls at record rates at this election, showing a clear will in active participation in the structuring of the future of the country. The disinterest of Armenians to community institutions as reflected in the survey is a result of Armenians in a secularization process growing out of their ´community´ clothes. The fact that all community structuring and activities are on the backs of 5 to 10 % of the Armenian community indicates that this archaic structure, which looks to have past its expiry date, is in urgent need of review. In the final analysis, in the world of the 21st century, in the Turkey of 2007, despite all difficulties, Armenians are saying, “We are citizens.”
The results of the survey “Being Minority in Turkey” presents extremely significant scientific data
Armenians say, “We are citizens, as well” Read more »

Aris Nalcı
AGOS
Two months ago, the questionnaire on the agenda of the civil movement inaugurated by Armenian youth, Nor Zartonk (www.norzartonk.org) , was completed with the contribution of Agos´ Volunteer Reporters and the Sociological Research Centre (SAM).
The questionnaire included many questions on various topics from mixed marriages to preferences in the use of every day language to the European Union.
Agos volunteers and the Nor Zartonk team reached over 500 Armenians living in Turkey, and SAM, an institution experienced in this area, evaluated the questionnaires. As of this edition we hope to dig deep into these topics for the next few weeks, under various titles such as politics, education, the frame of mind of the Armenian community after the murder of Hrant Dink, the Armenian language and press, secularisation and representation. Read more »

The Nor Zartonk Initiative held a philosophy workshop titled “Enlightenment in the light of Kant” at the offices of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers in Taksim.
This philosophy workshop was Nor Zartonk’s first cultural public activity since its formation. This event, a first in our community, is an attempt to speak to new thought and sections of society who are open to personal development.
After a general overview of the age of enlightenment, the workshop progressed around an exchange of opinions between participants in the context of the life of Immanuel Kant, the conditions of his period and his article “What is Enlightenment?” Read more »

Markar Esayan
AGOS
Existence has not yet been able to balance the dynamism, idealism, creativity, inexperience of the young and the experience, calmness, aptitude of the old and the hardening of the arteries in society caused by all these. The point of view that considers “the child” as a part of the homo sapiens species yet in need to grow up to become fully human, still rules in our region. Thus, with such a perception the process in which this “intermittent species” would become a “human being” is a vague process, in fact it is gratuitous. For instance, in the past in the Middle East, when the average life expectancy was 35-40 years, the age for a “kid” to become a man was 30. This is of course only valid for men, the patriarchal point of view regarding women has always been quite clear anyway.
In short, they do not take young people seriously in our lands. However, young people are the source for life energy and idealism and the generator of change. A gerontocratic society, which makes young people idle and “dumb” and sterilizes their creativity is doomed to be crushed under its own huge body. However the illness of power is such a thing that it makes one lose humanity. In a paranoid manner you would see everything as an enemy of their power. The young suffer from this ill order very frequently and get spiritually older. They experience the little bit of power they gain towards the end of their life on their children. It is such a paradox.
I remember how happy and how surprised I was to see the article I sent to Agos as a young writer in the second page in the years the newspaper was established. The fact that my article, which reflected some very adversary views without any question in a society which suffers from a serious case of the hardening of arteries and especially in a newspaper belonging to a community taking a nap in the comfortable bed of inertia gave me such hope that it still gives me motivation to write.
These are my feelings, my share related to this job. Read more »

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