State and Kurds in Turkey: The Question of Assimilation

The current literature on the Kurds in Turkey is based on the assumption that since the nineteeth century the State has attempted to assimilate the Kurds and that this has been the cause of the intermittent 'troubles' in Turkey. Metin Heper argues that this theory does not stand up to scrutiny given the many centuries of amicable relations between the State and the Kurds. He suggests that a theory of acculturation rather than assimilation better captures the real nature of State-Kurd interaction in Turkey, by not leaving any part of that interaction unaccounted for.

About the Author:
Metin Heper is Professor of Politics and Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences at Bilkent University, Turkey and is a founding member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences