Non-Muslim Minorities in Modern Turkey, Spring 2014

The differentiation between the ruling Muslim segment of Ottoman society and the non-Muslim communities marked the de facto social and political –albeit not economic– marginalization of the latter in the Empire. This marginalization continued in the Republican era, as the modernization and secularization of Turkish society did not keep the state’s promises for a multicultural social establishment in every part of life. However, during the last decade, this trend has begun to change. This article aims to unpack the process of de-marginalization of non-Muslim minorities in Turkey and their return to the foreground of social life in the context of a booming modern Turkish society. The author points to the importance of the new constitution process and the adoption of the articles of European Convention on Human Rights in this regard.