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University of Vienna Doctorate in Law

2016 Academic Year

Research Project (Expose) 380034 SE Seminar in International Law (2016S)

Title

“The Rights of Armenian Minorities in Lebanon and Turkey under National and International Laws”

Student name: KYFORK AGHOBJIAN, LLM

Student number: 1563481 Email: kevomayy@hotmail.com

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Table of Contents Page

1. Title Page 1

2. Table of Contents 2

3. Introduction 3

4. Research Question 4

5. Literature Review 5

6. Theoretical Framework 8

7. Methodology 9

8. Structure 10

9. Thesis Statement/Added Value 12

10. Draft Table of the Contents of the Thesis 14

11. Timetable 15

12. Bibliography 16

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1. Introduction

Armenian minorities have been living in the Middle East for centuries. They constitute a minority on

four separate levels: ethnic or national (Armenian), linguistic (Western and Eastern Armenian

languages) and religious (mainly Christian). Throughout the history Armenians have found themselves

permanently at the mercy of stronger countries or empires.

Following the 1915 Armenian genocide, which accounted for up to 1.5 million deaths, many

Armenians fled the region, taking refuge in Syria and Lebanon as well as dispersing worldwide.

However, some Armenians remained in the homeland, in the area that became the Turkish Republic in

1923. Many Armenians—former Ottoman subjects, now Turkish citizens—continued to reside in those

very ancestral towns and villages from which their compatriots had been evicted in one way or

another. Over the course of the 20th century, there was a concerted effort for Armenians to move

towards Constantinople, now Istanbul, which became a major Armenian centre for a new, evolved

Turkish-Armenian community.

Nowadays, Armenian minorities exist in countries worldwide, and present-day Armenia, a

country with approximately 3 million inhabitants, has links with global diasporas that number over 8

million. Many Armenians settled in Middle Eastern countries immediately adjacent to their homeland,

but unfortunately these countries have found themselves at the heart of the world’s trouble spots, and

have serious problems of their own to deal with, especially in areas related to peace, security, stability,

rule of law, human rights and minority rights.

In order to explore the premise of this thesis and answer the question it poses, I have selected

Lebanon and Turkey for detailed study, due to their individual complexities within a region that is

itself challenging in legal, political, social and economic terms. Human and minority rights violations

and majority-minority debates are already rife in these two states, and I believe that the historical

experiences, as well as the legal, political and socioeconomic situation of Armenian minorities are

worthy of study in both countries. By examining the ways national and international human rights laws

are enforced and protected, or violated and ignored, the thesis hopes to highlight the problems facing

Armenians in Turkey and Lebanon, and will provide theoretical and empirical benefits which would be

of great value to human and minority rights discourses.

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4-Research Question

The central research question addressed by this thesis will be the rights of Armenian minorities in

Lebanon and Turkey. The thesis will examine to what extent are the rights of Armenian minorities in

Lebanon and Turkey respected, protected and fulfilled, under international human rights law and, in

the case of Turkey, the European Standards as well. More specifically to what extent are the rights of

the Armenian minorities in Lebanon and Turkey compatible with Article 27 of ICCPR1, Article 30 of

CRC2, Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic

Minorities as well as European minority rights standards.

The Armenian community in Lebanon, as a management centre for Armenians in the Middle

and Near East, plays a key role in the life of the region’s Armenian communities. However, it is facing

profound challenges to the security and stability and emigration patterns, as well as difficulties in

preserving Armenian identity. In Turkey, in addition to what Armenians in Lebanon are encountering,

Armenians are frequently subject to anti-Armenian feelings based on prejudice, discrimination and

racial hatred. In both countries, the rights of Armenians (i.e. right to life, right to existence, right to

development, right to equality, right to freedom) are increasingly under pressure due to domestic and

external disturbances and growing socioeconomic difficulties. It is worth noting that they also face

linguistic restrictions, which may lead to the disappearance of the language (Western Armenian, which

is spoken in Turkey and Lebanon, is on UNESCO’s “definitely endangered”3 language list). Thus,

Armenians of Lebanon and Turkey are encountering profound problems in terms of enjoying and

practicing their human and minority rights as well as fulfilling and satisfying their human dignity.

Moreover, the thesis will address local statutes and practices towards Armenian minorities in

order to discover how the actual situation in Lebanon and Turkey is in accordance with national,

European and international human rights laws. The thesis will seek to answer why the political rhetoric

of these states argues that minorities are protected, when the reality is different? In this context, the

1 “In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such

minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy

their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language.” 2 “In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist,

a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community

with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or

her own religion, or to use his or her own language.” 3 See http://www.unesco.org/languages-atlas/index.php

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thesis will also explore the role of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora in protecting and promoting

the rights of the Armenians in these two countries. Furthermore, the thesis will study the extent to

which Armenians are aware of their rights and to what degree they are involved in human and minority

rights activities and mechanisms both locally and internationally.

5. Literature Review

There is a considerable amount of literature on minority rights in general and minority issues in the

Middle East in particular. The Middle East is home to many ancient and indigenous minority groups

whose powerlessness makes their history little known—and indeed virtually hidden. Such

powerlessness often signifies the absence of a public or recorded voice, or a platform on which

minorities can articulate the existence, condition, and vision of their people.

Most of the existing literature deals with minority identities in historical, social and political

contexts. Such an approach can provide the readers—and especially academics—with a huge amount

of information in terms of the formation of minorities throughout history, how those minorities shaped

their lives and what kind of challenges they have faced and are continuing to face. Some extremely

valuable analyses exist, mostly in the form of academic work which examines the legal regimes and

the national laws of the Middle East and compares them with international human rights law standards

and principles (For example, the valuable publication Minority Rights in the Middle East4 by Joshua

Castellino and Kathleen A Cavanaugh).

Nonetheless, existing literature on law and international human rights regarding minorities

tends to have a broad and generalized approach, and not always takes a specific case study or considers

a specific minority group which is the case for the Armenian minorities. For example, Duygu and

Soner5 analyse the implications of the Ottoman millet system which provided a framework for

differential but unequal treatment of non-Muslim minorities, and review the modern establishment of

the Republican minority rights regime based on the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne. They also

analyse the universal principles of equality and non-discrimination embedded in the modern concept of

4 Joshua Castellino and Kathleen A Cavanaugh, “Minority Rights in the Middle East” 3 Ahmet I-C Duygu & B. Ali Soner, “Turkish Minority Rights Regime: Between Difference and Equality”, Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 42, No. 3, 447 – 468, May 2006. 5 Ahmet I-C Duygu & B. Ali Soner , “Turkish Minority Rights Regime: Between Difference and Equality”, Middle Eastern Studies,Vol. 42, No. 3, 447 – 468, May 2006.

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citizenship status, which were ignored in the Turkish context as regards the treatment of non-Muslim

minorities. As such, they only focus on one general problem—that of minority rights, which in this

article concerns equality and non-discrimination but does not discuss specific minority groups and

their problems. Similarly, Derya’s Minorities and Nationalism in Turkish Law6 analyses the on-going

dilemma of managing diversity in Turkey from a historical and legal perspective, arguing that the

state's failure to accommodate ethno-religious diversity is attributable to the founding philosophy of

Turkish nationalism and its extensive penetration into the country’s socio-political and legal

frameworks. Derya states that Turkey is a civic nationalist state, based strongly on the grounds that its

legal system is generously littered with references to Turkish ethnicity and Sunni Islam. She also

argues that the nationalist stance of the Turkish state and its legal system has created a legal discourse

which is at odds with the justification of minority protection given by international law. Derya

demonstrates that a reappraisal of the founding philosophy of both the state and legal system is

necessary, without which any solution to the dilemmas of managing diversity would be inadequate.

Despite its importance in terms of minorities and nationalist discourse, no specific attention has been

paid to the Armenian minority or their sufferings in purely ethnic terms.

This type of literature is interesting, but not always useful in terms of identifying

problems and finding proper solutions for individual scenarios or specific minorities. However,

in terms of publications covering the Armenian minority in Turkey, one of the most important

works dealing with this issue seems to be Hofmann’s report entitled “Armenians in Turkey

Today - A Critical Assessment of the Situation of the Armenian Minority in the Turkish

Republic”7. This report covers different aspects of the Armenian minority in Turkey, but almost

15 years have passed since its publication and many legal and social developments have

occurred since then which need to be addressed in depth.

The most prominent developments over the last decade and a half are described in

Cheterian’s book Open Wounds: Armenians, Turks and a Century of Genocide8, include the

assassination of the author Hrant Dink, a high-profile advocate of Turkish-Armenian

reconciliation, in Istanbul in 2007. His killing reignited the debate in Turkey on the annihilation

of the Ottoman Armenians. Many Turks were soon reminded of their Armenian heritage,

reflecting on how their grandparents were forcibly Islamised and Turkified, and the suffering

6 Bayir, Derya, “Minorities and Nationalism in Turkish law”, Ashgate, UK, 2013. 7 Hofmann, Tessa, “ Armenians in Turkey Today - A Critical Assessment of the Situation of the Armenian Minority in the Turkish Republic” The Forum of Armenian Associations in Europe, 2002. 8 Viken, Cheterian, “Open Wounds: Armenians, Turks and a Century of Genocide”, Oxford University Press, UK 2015.

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their families endured to keep their stories secret. Until today, there has been no in-depth study

on the legal status of those secret/Islamised and Turkified Armenians. As well as Muslim

Armenians from 1915, the category of Hemshin has also been a hot topic among Armenian

circles in recent years. The Hemshin consist of separate groups of people from north-eastern

region of Turkey (from the Black Sea coast into the Caucasus) who have practiced Islam for

centuries and who speak an Armenian dialect. The study and proper documentation of their

history has only just begun. In addition, many decisions of the European Court of Human Rights

regarding Armenian minority in Turkey, need to be examined in terms of their impact and

consequences (for instance Yedikule Surp Pirgiç Ermeni Hastanesi Vakfı v. Turkey). Moreover,

since the 1990s Armenians have been moving from their home country Armenia to Istanbul to

take advantage of better economic opportunities. They work as labours, domestic help, and often

they trade. They are not citizens of Turkey and sometimes they stay in Turkey illegally. At one

point, in 2010, Prime Minister Erdoğan threatened to deport them in the aftermath of Western

countries’ resolutions on the Armenian Genocide. In 2015, President Erdoğan repeated that

threat in the aftermath of the European Parliament’s call for genocide recognition in the run-up

to the centennial. Thus, the thesis will examine the status of the immigrants and point out the

gaps in respecting, protecting and fulfilling their rights.

In this context, there are academic works on the roles the European institutions are playing and

could play in terms of promoting minority rights in Turkey. For example, The EU and Minority Rights

in Turkey by Toktas and Arass9, and Is There a Puzzle? Compliance with Minority Rights in Turkey

(1999-2010)10

by Yilmaz, illustrate the kind of legal reforms Turkey has already adopted and what

reforms are still needed in order to attain compatibility with European human rights standards.

However, there are very few indications on how the Armenian minority in Turkey is utilizing

European organizations’ available human rights mechanisms and instruments, how these instruments

are reachable, useful or effective for them.

With regards to the existing literature on Lebanese Armenians, it should be clarified that

although there has been an uninterrupted Armenian presence in the Middle East since the Ummayed

9 Tokas S., and Arass B.,“The EU and Minority Rights in Turkey”, Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 124, No. 4 (Winter 2009-10). 10 Yilmaz, Gözde, “Is There a Puzzle? Compliance with Minority Rights in Turkey (1999-2010)”, “The Transformative Power of Europe“, Freie Universität Berlin. KFG Working Paper Series, No. 23, 2011.

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era, the necessary academic research that examines the legal status and treatment of Armenian

minorities under international human rights laws does not exist. There are, however, two valuable

works in this context: (Re)constructing Armenia in Lebanon and Syria: Ethno-cultural Diversity and

the State of the Aftermath of a Refugee Crisis11

by Migliorino, and Armenians of Lebanon: From Past

Princesses and Refugees to Present-day Community12

edited by Boudjikanian. These two works deal

mainly with the Armenian presence during the Crusades, the refugee period, Armenian politics,

Armenian associations, Armenian culture, media and education in Lebanon during different stages of

the twentieth century. The publications also cover Armenian political parties and the issue of Genocide

recognition; the civil war Years (1975–1991) and the relationship between the state and the Armenian

Church amongst other issues. However, they exclude any deep examination of the legal status of the

Armenians in Lebanon and the extent to which their minority rights are respected, protected and

fulfilled within the Lebanese legal system according to international human rights laws. In addition, in

the past decade Lebanon has become a destination for thousands of Iraqi and Syrian refugees fleeing

the wars in their countries. Currently, an estimated number of more than fifteen thousand Iraqi and

Syrian Armenian refugees live in Lebanon, whose rights and problems are not addressed and examined

properly.

This thesis will specifically address the above-mentioned gaps in the existing literature on

Armenian minorities, but will also consider minority studies and comparative national and

international human rights. The research will rely not only on literature written in English, but also on

Armenian, Turkish and Arabic literature, as I know these languages very well.

6. Theoretical framework

Within the social sciences, and within law and legal regimes, there are different methodologies and

theoretical frameworks dealing with questions related to minority and majority identities. My

understanding of the debates and problems concerning minority identity construction is informed by

some of these comparative methods. My examination of the status of Armenian minorities in Lebanon

and Turkey cannot be exhaustive, but will be grounded in international law and national laws, with all

11 Migliorino, N, “(Re) constructing Armenia in Lebanon and Syria: Ethno-cultural Diversity and the state in the Aftermath of a Refugee Crises”, Berghahn Books, USA, 2008. 12 Boudjikian, A, Edt. “Armenians of Lebanon: From Past Princesses and Refugees to Present-day Community”, Armenian Heritage Press of the National Association for Armenian Studiesand Research (NAASR), Belmont, MA, USA. 2009.

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the caveats and limitations thereof. Moreover, I will look at primary sources in their original

languages. I would hope that this methodology would lead to further examination and cross-discipline

debate.

However, tackling the question of minority rights in Lebanon and Turkey cannot be limited to an

examination of the laws that seek to protect minority communities. It is only by revisiting the historical

social formation of the multiple geographies of the region that we can begin to understand the genesis

of identity politics in the area. Therefore, the thesis will also analyse the situation faced by the

Armenian minorities in each of these countries during different historical stages.

I am planning to undertake research visits to the relevant countries to conduct empirical research and

interviews by meeting representatives of different political, religions and community leaders from the

Armenian minorities as well as relevant officials from NGOs, associations relevant to different

minorities, youths and academics. In addition I will conduct quantitative research by producing survey

research in the form of questionnaires. All of this will provide me with necessary research data on

which I can carry out statistical and qualitative analyses.

7. Methodology

To address the question posed by the thesis in the most constructive and practical way, the thesis will

adopt the following methodology:

1. An analysis of existing legal documents, treaties, laws and jurisprudence regarding minority

rights in international and regional levels. The thesis will study the relevant documents and

laws in international law regarding minority rights, such as the Article 27 of ICCPR, Article 30

of the Convention on the Rights of the Childs and the Declaration on the Rights of Persons

Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the reports of the Special

Rapporteur on Minority Issues, the reports of the annual Minority Rights Forum of the Human

Rights Council. With regards to the European laws, the thesis will study the relevant laws and

documents such as the Framework Convention for the protection of National Minorities,

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the reports of the OSCE’s High

Commissioner of National Minorities. After analyzing pure minority rights in international and

European laws, the thesis will analyze non-discrimination laws and documents that are related

to minority issues. Hence, it will study the reports and documents of the Human Rights

Council, Universal Periodic Review, The Office of the United Nations High commissioner for

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Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High commissioner for Refugees, UNESCO,

the Commission on Human Rights, the Human Rights Committee, and the Committee on the

Elimination of Racial Discrimination as well as the non-discrimination laws laid down in the

European Charter for Fundamental Rights and the European Convention for Human Rights. By

examining Armenian minorities as a case study, this thesis will explore the extent to which

states adopt and apply internationally accepted human rights measures and recommendations

related to more general minority rights, as well as the extent to which minorities in these

countries benefit from these international principles.

2. An analysis of the current legal regimes and institutions for respecting, protecting and fulfilling

minority rights in each country, including the constitutional, administrative, judicial, electoral,

socioeconomic and local frameworks, and a comparison of each country’s systems against the

standards laid down by international law.

3. An analyses of the internal laws of Armenian minorities in Lebanon and Turkey. In these

countries, each Armenian denomination has its own internal codes and regulations. For

instance, the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic community are still regulated by the

Armenian National Constitution, which in Ottoman Turkish is referred to as the “Regulation of

the Armenian Nation”, a document that was written in 1860 and approved by the Ottoman

Empire in 1863. The thesis will study these regulations, their legal validity and impacts as well

as their compatibilities with human rights principles. In addition, it will consider the current

difficulties and contradictions surrounding the application of the internal codes and regulations,

and will find the gaps that need to be addressed by the current standards of effective minority

group management.

8-Structure

The thesis will take the following structure:

After and introductory section the thesis will outline the main principles and content of

International Human Rights Laws with regards to respecting, protecting and fulfilling minority rights.

In this section there will be a detailed analyses of current minority rights provided by international law

such as the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and

Linguistic Minorities, ICCPR, CAR, as well as Case laws related to minority rights. This analyses will

serve as a baseline and yardstick to answer the research question. This will be followed by a summary

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of the history of the Armenian minorities in Lebanon and modern Turkey and an examination of their

legal status at different historical stages. The thesis will study the Armenian minority under the early

Ottoman Empire and during its collapse, as well as during the period of western colonization and

decolonization in the region.

The following part of the thesis will be divided into two main sections. The first will deal with

an examination of the rights of the Armenian minorities in Lebanon, while the second will be an

examination of those same rights in Turkey.

In the Lebanese section, the thesis will study the following subsections: the minority rights regime in

Lebanon; the rights of the Armenian minority within the Taif Agreement, Lebanese constitution, and

relevant laws covering these rights; the rights of the non-Lebanese citizen Armenians in Lebanon, the

internal regulations of the Armenian institutions and their compatibility with human rights, the

Armenian level of participation in the public, economic and social life of Lebanon, the rights of the

Armenian minority from the perspective of international human rights monitoring bodies and finally

current challenges and possible legal remedies to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the Armenians

in Lebanon.

In the Turkish section, the thesis will examine the following subsections: the minority rights regime in

Turkey; Armenians as indigenous people in modern Turkey, the formal structure and internal

regulations of the Armenian institutions and their compatibility with human rights; hidden – Islamised

Armenians and their legal status, the problems of non-Turkish citizen Armenian migrants in Turkey;

the participation of Turkish Armenians in the public, economic and social life of Turkey, the rights of

the Armenian minority from the perspective of international human rights monitoring bodies and the

decisions of the European Court of Human Rights; the role of the rights of the Armenian minority in

Turkey’s participation in the OSCE; the role of the rights of the Armenian minority in Turky’s

relations with the European Union and finally current serious challenges and remedies ti respect,

protect and fulfil the rights of the Armenians in Lebanon.

In this context, the thesis will examine the extent to which available international and European human

rights mechanisms are effective in promoting and protecting Armenians and their rights in Turkey and

Lebanon. In addition, it will consider how the Armenian minority in Turkey is utilizing available

human rights mechanisms and instruments in the context of European Institutions and examine the

ways in which Turkish authorities are dealing with the judgments of the ECoHR regarding cases raised

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by Armenian minority members.

After examining the rights of the Armenians in Lebanon and Turkey in these separate main sections,

the thesis will make a comparison between “sectarian” Lebanese and “secular’ Turkish minority rights

regimes. The thesis will explore gaps and stress-points in each state’s practice and examine how the

practice of each state affects the lives of the same sub-sets of the Armenian people.

Following on from here, the thesis will continue by answering the following questions: What role is

the Republic of Armenia playing to promote the rights of its minorities, and to what extent does the

relationship between Armenia and each of the two states help or hinder the rights of Armenian

diasporas in these countries? How does the work of both the Armenian state and the Armenian

diaspora in terms of the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkish authorities affect the

Armenian minority in Turkey?

Based on the above-mentioned research and the experience of the Armenian minority, the thesis will

summarize its findings and conclude by proposing suggestions for promoting, protecting and fulfilling

minority rights, regardless of the political system of the state. These suggestions will be founded on the

principles of international human rights law and the pillars of minority rights discourse (protection of

existence and prevention of violence against minorities; protection and promotion of minority identity;

equality and non-discrimination and the right to effective participation in all areas of public, economic

and social life). As such, it will suggest proper legal and practical amendments that would help ensure

the protection and improvement of the rights of different minorities.

9.Thesis Statement/Added Value

I believe that researching and documenting the rights of Armenian minorities from a perspective of

national and international laws in Lebanon and Turkey will make a significant contribution to

literary and legal-political discourses concerning not only the specific rights of the Armenian

minorities but also minority rights in more general terms. I believe the thesis will offer the

following added values:

1. Most of the work covering minority rights in the Middle East has concentrated on religious

minorities and underestimates linguistic, ethnic and national claims. Armenians are

particularly vulnerable, as they constitute religious, ethnic, national and linguistic minorities

simultaneously. A comparison and evaluation of the legal systems regarding their political,

civil, economic, cultural, linguistic and collective rights under different political systems

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(sectarian Lebanon and secular Turkey) and the impact of these different systems on the

Armenians could provide a proper foundation to propose legal and human rights mechanisms

suitable for dealing with Armenian minorities which face a real threat to their existence and

national identity.

2. There are very few analyses on the ways minorities use current international human rights

mechanisms (ex. Universal Periodic Review and Minority Rights Forum) in order to raise

awareness about their problems and to promote their rights in the countries where they live. In

this context, studying the extent to which Armenians are aware of their rights and to what

extent they are involved in human and minority rights activities both locally and

internationally can provide an excellent ground-level snapshot of the effectiveness of

international human rights bodies and mechanisms.

3. Armenians in Lebanon and Turkey have the status (even if it is not legally recognized) of

being a religious, linguistic, national and ethnic minority at the same time, and are part and

parcel of the people of these countries. Conducting an expanded, well-structured and

developed research on their rights could therefore add great value to the literature on the

national laws of each of these countries as well as promoting international human rights law

and minority rights discourses. In addition, the thesis could provide the field of Armenian

studies with a new research tool that analyses the situation of the Armenian minorities from a

legal and international human rights law perspectives.

4. Based on the experience of the Armenian minority, the thesis could provide legal proposals

and guidelines for other minorities across the world, helping them respond effectively in cases

of (a) inter- or intra-state violence, during which Armenians have sometimes found

themselves involuntarily standing in the crossfire; (b) the radical interpretation of local

nationalisms, sometimes with associated racism and accompanying prejudices, to restrict

private business and introduce some sort of state capitalism; (c) the resurgence of religion as a

social and political current; (d) achieving sustainable peace and identifying paths for

development within their communities.

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10. Draft Table of Contents of the Thesis

1. Introduction

2. Main principles and contents of International Human Rights Law with regards to respecting,

protecting and fulfilling minority rights.

2.1 Minority rights in General Human Rights Treaties

2.1.1. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

2.1.2 Convention on the Rights of the Child.

2.2 Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and

Linguistic Minorities.

2.3 European Standards

2.3.1. The Framework Convention for the protection of National Minorities

2.3.2. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

2.3.3. The reports of OSCE’s High Commissioner of National Minorities.

2.3.4 The Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights regarding Minorities.

2.4 The relevant reports of: the Special Reporture of Minority Issues, Universal Periodic

Review and Minority Rights Forum.

2.6 Minority rights in the context of the right to equality & non-discrimination.

3. A brief history of the rights of Armenians in Lebanon and modern Turkey.

3.1 The rights of the Armenians during historical eras in Lebanon (i.e. late Ottoman Empire -

French Mandate – Independence – Civil War).

3.2 The rights of the Armenians during recent historical eras in Turkey (i.e. late Ottoman Empire –

Republic era).

4. Current rights of the Armenian minority in Lebanon.

4.1 The minority rights regime in Lebanon.

4.2 Tai’f agreement and the Lebanese constitution.

4.3 The rights of the Armenian minority within the Lebanese civil, electoral, social and

economic laws.

4.4 The rights of the non-Lebanese citizen Armenians in Lebanon (i.e. Syrian and Iraqi

Armenian refugees & labors in Lebanon).

4.5 The formal structure & the internal regulations and codes of the main Armenian

institutions in Lebanon.

4.6 The Armenian level of participation in the public, economic and social life of Lebanon.

4.7 The rights of the Armenian minority from the perspective of international human rights

monitoring bodies.

4.8 Current challenges and remedies to respect protect and fulfill the rights of the Armenians

in Lebanon.

5 Current rights of the Armenian minority in Turkey.

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5.1 The minority regime in Turkey.

5.2 Armenians as indigenous people of modern Turkey. Living in the homeland without a

“homeland?

5.3 The formal structure & the internal regulations and codes of the main Armenian institutions

in Turkey.

5.4 Hidden – Islamized Armenians and their legal status. The status and problems of non-

Turkish citizen Armenian migrants in Turkey.

5.6 The participation of Turkish Armenians in the public, economic and social life of

Turkey.

5.7 The rights of the Armenian minority from the perspective of international human rights

monitoring bodies.

5.8 The rights of the Armenian minority from the perspective of the European Court of

Human Rights.

5.9 The role of the rights of the Armenian minority in Turkey’s participation in the OSCE.

5.10 The role of the rights of the Armenian minority in Turkey’s relations with the European

Union and membership negotiations.

5.11 Current serious challenges and remedies to respect protect and fulfill the rights of the

Armenians in Turkey.

6. A comparison between “sectarian” Lebanese and “secular” Turkish minority rights regimes.

7. The Role and the Impact of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora on the lives

of the Armenians in Lebanon and Turkey. Blessing or curse?

8. Findings and recommendations.

9. Conclusion.

11. Timetable

From July to December 2016 Literature research and review.

Overview and comparison of existing theories and arguments.

Examining legal documents, reports and available international

instruments and mechanisms.

Developing and testing questionnaires.

Developing and testing interview guidelines.

Participation in the 9th Minority Rights Forum at the Human

Rights Council.

From January to March 2017 Research visit to Lebanon.

Conducting interviews and questionnaires.

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Visiting Lebanese and Armenian official institutions, libraries and

research centres in Lebanon.

Transcription of interviews.

Participating in local conferences and seminars.

From April to June 2017 Quantitative analysis of questionnaires.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of interview transcripts

Analysis of data and information collected during the field

research in Lebanon.

From July to September 2017 Research visit to Turkey

Conducting interviews and questionnaires.

Visiting Turkish and Armenian official institutions, libraries and

research centres in Turkey.

Transcription of interviews.

Participating in local conferences and seminars.

From October to December

2017

Quantitative analysis of questionnaires conducted in Lebanon.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of interview transcripts

conducted in Turkey.

Analysing the data and information collected during the field

research in Turkey.

From January to March 2018 Comparison studies and recommendations.

Completion.

12. Bibliography

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Al-Ahliah, Amman, Jordan, 2013.

Abramson, Scott, “Lebanese Armenians; A Distintive Community in the Armenian Diaspora and in

Lebanese Society”, The Levantine Review Volume 2 Number 2, 2013.

Akgönül, Samim, “The Minority Concept in the Turkish Context Practices and Perceptions in Turkey,

Greece and France”, 2013.

Anagnostou, Dia and Psychogiopoulou, Evangelia, eds. “The European Court of Human Rights and

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the Rights of Marginalised Individuals and Minorities in National Context”Nartunus Nijhoff

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Aral, B., “The Idea of Human Rights as Perceived in the Ottoman Empire” Human Rights Quarterly,

2004. Arison, Furkay, “The Problem of Minorities and its Solution in Turkey”, 2009.

Balakian, Peter, “The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response” 2003.

Bedrosyan, Raffi, "Bedrosyan: Searching for Lost Armenian Churches and Schools in Turkey". The

Armenian Weekly, 2011.

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