The Armenians of Aintab: The Economics of Genocide in an Ottoman Province

Speaker/ Leader: Dr. Ümit Kurt
Description: One cornerstone of the wartime campaign against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was the confiscation of their properties and wealth, which were subsequently transferred to Muslim elites and used in reshaping the domestic economy as well as covering wartime expenses. This talk will explore how the process of economic destruction directed at the Armenians of Aintab (present-day Gaziantep) was implemented. Shifting focus from state to society, thereby prioritizing the local roots of a mass violence in the making, this work will highlight the crucial role played by local elites and provincial notables, actors who prospered in the new social stratum through the acquisition of Armenian property and wealth.