
A Chance for Reconciliation in Diyarbakir
Left to ruin after the Armenian Genocide, St. Giragos--once one of the largest Armenian churches in the Middle East--reclaimed its title with the support of the city’s Kurdish mayor and funding from the Armenian diaspora and reopened as place of worship after undergoing major renovations in 2011. At the time this was seen by many as a hopeful sign of reconciliation. Dr. Bilgin Ayata uses the case of the church in Diyarbakir as a possible example of how the Turkish government could confront the neglected Armenian history and presence in Turkey.
Produced by AGBU WebTalks in partnership with the Zoryan Institute.
About the speaker
Image
Bilgin Ayata
Bilgin Ayata
Dr. Bilgin Ayata is lecturer at the Center for Transnational Relations, Foreign and Security Policy at Freie University Berlin. Born and raised in Germany, she holds a MA from York University and a PhD in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. Her writings address issues of internal displacement, Kurdish transnational politics, and the denial of the Armenian Genocide. Dr. Ayata has published in New Perspectives on Turkey, Middle East Report and Journal of Contemporary European Studies.

Bilgin Ayata
Dr. Bilgin Ayata is lecturer at the Center for Transnational Relations, Foreign and Security Policy at Freie University Berlin. Born and raised in Germany, she holds a MA from York University and a PhD in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. Her writings address issues of internal displacement, Kurdish transnational politics, and the denial of the Armenian Genocide. Dr. Ayata has published in New Perspectives on Turkey, Middle East Report and Journal of Contemporary European Studies.
Related Webtalks
The Stages of Genocide
Ravished Armenia: Representing Genocide in Early American Cinema
The Golden Age of Armenian-American Band Music
Denial as Hate Speech
The Genocide of Pontic Greeks and Assyrians
The History and Activities of the AGBU Nubar Library
Armin T. Wegner: Bearing Witness to the Armenian Genocide
Trade, Religion and Art in Medieval Armenia
The AGBU Nubarian Library
Armenia’s Third Republic: Independence and Early Years
Reflections on the First Republic
Pioneering Armenian Studies
Defining an Undeniable Genocide
Gladstone, Religion and Armenia
The History of the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial
The Geopolitical Realities of the 2020 Artsakh War
Zabel Yessayan: Writing Against Injustice
GIVE TO AGBU
Make an impact that will change lives. Donate today.