Dr. Merih Erol Interview

We are so honored that we finally had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Merih Erol, Associate Professor of History at Özyeğin University in Istanbul.

Dr. Erol is a Turkish historian specializing in the cultural history of the late Ottoman Empire. Her research focuses on the experiences of Armenian refugees in Greece during the interwar period, exploring themes of memory, identity, and humanitarian relief.

Could you tell us a little about your academic background?

After graduating from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department of Boğaziçi University, I decided to study sociology. So, I did an MA in sociology at the same university. Then, I studied history and received a PhD degree with a dissertation on the Greek Orthodox community of Constantinople and its musical heritage and identity.

Your research focuses on Armenian refugees in Greece. Could you tell us what drew you to this topic and how your perspective has shaped your approach to studying their history?

Before doing research on this topic, for some years I had worked on Greek evangelicals or Protestants in the Ottoman Empire. Of course, the numbers of Gregorian Armenians in the empire who adopted Protestantism were much higher than the Greeks. One day, for the project, I interviewed an Armenian evangelical whose grandparents came to Greece from Adapazarı in Turkey. Later, a colleague of mine asked if I could contribute to a volume on the 100th anniversary of the Greek-Turkish War. That interview came to my mind years later, and I said I can do a few more interviews with other Armenians in Greece and write an article about their story of the transition. Then, it turned into a book project.

Was there a particular moment or reason that inspired this research?

Yes, I guess the fact that my mother’s origins are from Erzincan, from a village with an Armenian name, has a lot to do with my interest in Armenian history and culture. Interestingly, I began to dig into it quite late in my personal and academic life, after my mother’s death in 2019.

Could you explain the historical circumstances that led to Armenians arriving in Greece after 1922?

After the genocide, much smaller number of Armenians came to Greece in comparison to the flux of refugees in 1921 and 1922. As Cilicia was evacuated by the French army, many Armenians left the area and went to Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon etc. Later due to the Smyrna fire, again many Armenians along with Greeks fled to the Greek islands in the Aegean, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Cephalonia and other places.

In your research, you describe this as a “prolonged refugeehood.” What does that mean, and why is it important?

I call it “prolonged refugeehood” because their living conditions did not improve for many years, like in the case of Greek refugees from Asia Minor. And also because many Armenians who came to Greece in 1922, did not or could not get Greek citizenship until the late 1960s.

What were the main difficulties Armenians faced when they arrived and tried to settle?

Housing, finding food, clothes, and medical care. They built their own churches and schools.

How did Armenian refugees manage to build communities and support each other in Greece?

As soon as they came, they organized their communities, opened churches, schools, theatre clubs, and football teams. Armenian diaspora organizations like the Armenian Blue Cross and the AGBU based in Cairo also helped them.

How important were schools, churches, and orphanages in helping Armenians preserve their identity?

Mainly through schools, they preserved their language and identity. Most of Greek Armenians are bilingual. Memory of the Armenian genocide is also preserved in school education as well as in families.

In what ways did they keep their language, traditions, and culture alive?

For instance, we can think about the presence of Armenian music and dances in most of Greek-Armenians’ community events. Restaurants in Athens which serve Armenian dishes. Also, cultural and sport clubs or the scouts have been venues that support the sharing of Armenian language and culture.

How did Greek society and the state respond to Armenian refugees

Well, this is one of the questions that I am trying to answer in my book in-preparation. Shortly, I can say that the Greek state welcomed the Armenian refugees warmly at the beginning. However, as interwar Greece needed foreign loans to accommodate and feed huge numbers of refugees, Greeks as well as Armenians and Russians, the priority was given to co-ethnic refugees.

Were Armenians treated differently from the Greek Orthodox refugees who also arrived from Asia Minor?

Yes, as I have just said. However, also the Greek Orthodox refugees suffered from economic deprivation and discrimination.

You have worked with petitions, publications, and community voices.? What do these sources tell us about how Armenians saw themselves in Greece?

This is a large question. But my answer to the next question covers this one as well.

How has the story of Armenian refugees shaped the identity of Armenians in Greece today?

Armenians see themselves as victims of the same tragedy or the same enemy as the Greeks who fled Asia Minor. So, this has been a significant factor in the Greek-Armenians’ perceptions of their place in the Greek society.

How has the story of Armenian refugees shaped the identity of Armenians in Greece today?

Armenians see themselves as victims of the same tragedy or the same enemy as the Greeks who fled Asia Minor. So, this has been a significant factor in the Greek-Armenians’ perceptions of their place in the Greek society.

Are there stories or patterns from your research that you think more people should know?

Yes, that’s why I want to write this book, and I took more than 60 interviews from Armenians who live in Athens and Thessaloniki for this purpose.

Based on your research, how did the experiences of Armenian refugees in Greece compare to those who settled in other countries? Were their lives easier or more difficult elsewhere?

I think the Greek state was not much interested in assimilating them as it happened in other places. It was hoping that through the efforts of the League of Nations, Armenian refugees ultimately would be transported to Soviet Armenia. Due to their different dogma and language, they were seen as foreign and different but the state also let them build their churches and schools. Armenians constituted a group with a distinct identity and traditions if you compare them to other Christian groups. So, they maintained their identity, but their lives were difficult because Greece was politically very unstable in those years, and economically was in bad shape.

What lessons can young people today learn from the history of Armenian refugees in Greece?

They can learn to be resilient and take their dedication and investment in education as a model.

What advice would you give to young people who want to explore their roots and celebrate their heritage?

Young people should record the life stories of their grandparents and parents before it is too late. They should see their difference – language, music, food, history, skills - as a source of wealth that they can offer to the society that they live in, and not something to boast about and feel superior to others.

If students like us want to learn more, what books, archives, or resources would you recommend?

Travelling is the best way to learn about one’s roots, as well as about other cultures. Make use of Erasmus and exchange programs.
About the life of Ottoman Armenians, seehoushamadyan.org
For Greek-Armenian newspapers, books, and publications, seekantsaran.gr
Also, a digital archive of the Armenian Evangelical Church has been in preparation. In addition, British Library has an ongoing digitization project of Armenian-language materials.
You can follow the programs and research resources ofHrant Dink Foundationin Istanbul

Is there a final thought or message you would like to share with young Armenians today?

Read a lot, do your own research, and go beyond what is taught at school. Also, learn foreign languages, it is an efficient way of learning to think differently.