Workshop on ‘Social and Economic History of Diyarbakir’

The International Hrant Dink Foundation, the Diyarbakir Institute for Political and Social Research (DISA), the Diyarbakir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality Directorate for Cultural Affairs will be co-hosting a workshop from Nov. 12-13 in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on the “Social and Economic History of Diyarbakir and the Region.”

During the course of the 19th century and first quarter of 20th century, the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey underwent significant social and economic transformations. While academic interest to study these developments has been quite substantial regarding the western provinces, academic curiosity regarding the eastern provinces has largely lagged behind. Although the eastern provinces experienced similar processes, scholarly works on their economic and social life as well as their transformation are few. Rather, a sharp neglect and amnesia can be observed regarding eastern Anatolia in the 19th and early 20th century. Likewise, records, archives, and monographs on its economic and social life, as well as records on the social movements that took place in the region, are very limited.

The aim of the workshop is to understand and analyze in detail the social and economic transformations in the Diyarbakir province between 1838 and 1938, and to promote and publicize academic research on the subject.

The meeting will be held in the Diyarbakir Sumerpark Conference Center. The working language of the meeting will be both English and Turkish. In order to reserve time for Q&A sessions and discussions, each speaker will have 20 minutes for their presentations. Transportation and accommodation expenses of participants from outside Diyarbakir will be covered if the institutions they belong to cannot ensure coverage.

The meeting is organized from an interdisciplinary perspective. It is open to researchers working on the history, economic history, sociology, political science, and demography of Diyarbakir between 1838 and 1938. Papers that focus on the interaction between the various communities in the area at the time are encouraged. To participate in this meeting, researchers should submit a 250-word summary of their papers, along with a CV, by emailing uhdvdiyarbakirprojesi@ab-pr.com or info@hrantdink.org, or by writing to:

International Hrant Dink Foundation
Halaskargazi Cad. Sebat Apt. No: 74/1 34371 Osmanbey – Sisli / Istanbul

Scientific Committee

Prof. Dr. Ayhan Aktar, Istanbul Bilgi University
Dr. Cengiz Aktar, Bahcesehir University
Prof. Dr. Selim Deringil, Bogazici University
Prof. Dr. Edhem Eldem, Bogazici University
Prof. Dr. Fazıl Husnu Erdem, Dicle University
Prof. Dr. Raymond Kevorkian, Paris VIII University
Prof. Dr. Aksin Somel, Sabanci University