Turkish (Native), German, Ottoman Turkish

Altuğ Taner Akçam

University of Minnesota
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
100 Nolte Hall West
315 Pillsbury Drive
Minneapolis, MN. 55455
phone: 612–624 2988
Fax: 612-626-9169
E-Mail:

Minneapolis, MN55409

University of Minnesota

Turkish (native), German, Ottoman Turkish

Professor of Record for accreditation by University of Minnesota, Genocide and Human Rights University Program, International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies

Member of Faculty, Genocide and Human Rights University Program, International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies

Visiting Professor, Department of Sociology

Visiting Scholar, ArmenianResearchCenter

Research Scientist in Sociology

Teaching Assistant

PUBLICATIONS

I. Books

The Protocols of the Istanbul Military Tribunals on the Investigation of the Armenian GenocideWith Vahakn N. Dadrian. (working title) Forthcoming, Bilgi University Publication, Istanbul 2008 (in Turkish) and 2009 (in English).

Essays on 1915 (1915 Yazıları). Istanbul: İletişim Publishing House (fortcoming 2008 March)

“Armenian Problem is solved” The Policies towards Armenians during the War Years According to Ottoman Documents (“Ermeni Meselesi Hallolmuştur” Osmanlı Belgelerine Göre Savaş Yıllarında Ermenilere Yönelik Politikalar) İletişim Publishing House, January 2008

A Shameful Act: Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility.New York: Metropolitan Books, November 2006.

From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide. London: Zed Books, 2004.

Dialogue Across an International Divide: Essays Towards a Turkish-Armenian Dialogue.Toronto: The Zoryan Institute of Canada, 2001.

The Armenian Taboo Exposed (Ermeni Tabusu Aralanırken). Ankara: Su Yayınları,2000 (in Turkish).

Europe and Turkey (Europa und die Türkei). Hamburg: Green Party Publications, 2000 (in German).

The Armenian Question and Human Rights in History: From the Party of Union and Progress to the Turkish War of Independence(İnsan Hakları ve Ermeni Sorunu –İttihat ve Terakki’den Kurtuluş Savaşına). Ankara: İmge Yayınları, 1999 (in Turkish; English translation in progress).

The Armenian Question in History: The Turkish National Movement and the Istanbul Trials, 1919–22 (Armenien und die Völkermord. Die Istanbuler Prozesse und die türkische Nationalbewegung). Hamburg: Verlag Hamburger Edition, 1996 (in German).

Re-envisioning the Republic of Turkey(Türkiye’yi Yeniden Düsünmek). Istanbul: Birikim Yayınları, 1995 (in Turkish).

The Boundaries of Tolerance in Islam(İslamda Tolerans ve Sınırı). Ankara: Başak Yayınları, 1994 (in Turkish).

The Armenian Question and Turkish National Identity(Türk Ulusal Kimliği ve Ermeni Sorunu). İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 1992 (original in Turkish; Russian edition in 1995, Armenian in 1996, and Arabic in 1997).

Torture and Violence in Turkish Political Culture (Siyasi Kültürümüzde Zulüm ve İşkence). İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 1991 (in Turkish).

Marxism and Human Rights(İnsan Haklari ve Marksizm). Istanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları, 1991 (in Turkish).

II. Articles and Book Chapters

“Guenter Lewy and new trends in Genocide Denial” Genocide Studies And Prevention. An International Journal Official Journal of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, November 2007

“Review of Guenter Lewy, ‘The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide’,”Journal of Genocide Research, 9: 1 (2007), pp. 135-41.

“Deportation and Massacres in the Cipher Telegrams of the Interior Ministry in the Prime Ministerial Archive (Başbakanlık Arşivi).”Genocide Studies And Prevention An International Journal Official Journal of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, (January 2007): 306-325

‘‘The Ottoman Documents and the Genocidal Policies of the Committee for Union and Progress (Ittihat ve Terakki) toward the Armenians in 1915.’’ Genocide Studies and Prevention, no. 2 (September 2006): 127–148

“Gündüz Aktan ve Soykırımda Saik Meselesi” [Gündüz Aktan and the Question of Motive in Genocide Definition]. Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal), 201, January 2006

“Anatomy of Genocide Denial: Academics, Politicians, and the ‘Re-Making’ of History.” Occasional paper. University of MinnesotaCenter for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. 2005.

"Soykırım Suçunda Kasıt Unsuru Konusunda Bazı Notlar" [On Criminal Intent in the Genocide: Some Observations]. Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal),199,November 2005.

“Turks and Armenians” (with Belinda Cooper).World Policy Journal22, no.3 (Fall 2005).

“Bir Skandal: Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi’nin Mektubu ya da Şükrü Elekdağ ve Justin McCarthy bu Ülkeyi Nereye Sürüklüyorlar?” [A Scandal: The Letter of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, or,What Are Şükrü Elekdağ and Justin McCarthyDragging This Country Into?]Birikim, no. 193-4, May 2005.

“Anatomy of a Crime: The Turkish Historical Society’s Manipulation of Archival Documents.” Journal of Genocide Research 7, no. 2(June 2005).

“Bir Kitap Ya da Bir Cinayetin Anatomisi”(A Book, or, Anatomy of a Crime). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal), no. 191March 2005.

“Vahakn N. Dadrian: Ermeni Soykırımında Kurumsal Roller,” [[The Role of Institutions in the Armenian Genocide]Virgül (Turkish review of books) 76, September 2004.

“Türkishe Leugnung des Völkermordes and den Armeniern im Europäischen Kontext” (Turkish Denial of Armenian Genocide within European Context) in Huberta von Voss, ed. Porträt einer Hoffnung Die Armenier. Lebensbilder aus aller Welt (Portraits of Hope: The Armenians. Pictures of Lives from all over the world). Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler, 2004.

“A New Theoretical Framework for the Analysis of Turkish National Identity: Norbert Elias’s Approach in Comparative Perspective” (Norbert Elias’ın “Almanlar Üzerine Çalışmalar”ının Türk Ulusal Karakterini Anlamak için Sunduğu İmkanlar). Toplum ve Bilim (Science and Society): Spring 2000.

“Secularism in the Turkish Nation-Building Process” (Der türkische Nationalisierungsprozess und der Laizismus). In Core and Periphery: Turkish Religious Minorities in Germany (Kern und Rand, Religiöse Minderheiten aus der Türkei in Deutschland), ed. Gerdien Jonker. Berlin: Berliner Verlag, 1999 (in German).

“Sanctioned Historical Themes in Turkey” (Zur Tabuisierung geschichtlicher Themen in der Türkei). In The Republic of Armenia and Switzerland 1896–1923 (Schweiz und die Armenien 1896–1923), ed. Hans-Lukas Kieser. Zurich: Chronos-Verlag, 1999 (in German).

“Genocide Charges against the Turks and the Turkish National Movement” (Die türkische Nationalbewegung und die Bestrafung der Türken wegen des Völkermordes). In The Republic of Armenia in Difficult Straits: From Past to the Present (Armenien, Geschichte und Gegenwart in schwierigem Umfeld), German-Armenian Association, ed. Frankfurt a.M.: GAA Verlag, 1998 (in German).

“Causes and Consequences of Censoring Turkish History” (Tarihimizi Tabulastirma Nedenleri ve Sonuçları). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 107, March 1998 (in Turkish).

“An Alternative Historical Narrative of the Sevres and Lausanne Treaties on the 75th Anniversary of the TurkishRepublic” (Cumhuriyetin 75. yılında Sevr ve Lozan’ın Bir Başka Tarihi). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 115, November 1998 (in Turkish).

“The Rapid Process of Turkification” (Hızla Türkleşiyoruz). In Identity and Democracy in the Turkish Republic (Cumhuriyet Demokrasi ve Kimlik), ed. Nuri Bilgin. Istanbul: Bağlam Yayınları, 1997 (in Turkish).

“The Concept of ‘the Other’ in the East and the West” (Doğu’da ve Batı’da Yabancı Kavramı). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 102, October 1997 (in Turkish).

“The Genocide of the Armenians and the Silence of the Turks.” In Problems of Genocid, ed.Zoryan Institute. Toronto: ZI Press, 1997.

“A Macro Analysis of the Ottoman-Turkish Westernization Process” (Osmanisch-Türkischer Verwestlichungsprozess, eine Makroperspektive). In Bridge Across Civilizations (Brücken zwischen Zivilisationen). Hans Peter Waldhoff, Dursun Tan, Elçin Ahlers, eds. Frankfurt a.M.: Verlag der Kulturen, 1997 (in German).

“The Causes of the Turkish Silence on the Armenian Genocide” (Der Völkermord an den Armeniern und die Gründe des türkischen Schweigens). In Phoenix from the Ashes: Armenians 80 Years After the Genocide (Phonix aus der Asche, Armenien 80 Jahre nach dem Genozid). German-Armenian Association, ed. Frankfurt a.M.: GAA Verlag, 1996 (in German).

“Reflections on the Concept of Collective Identity” (Kollektif Kimlik Üzerine Bazi Tespitler). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 71/72, March–April 1995 (in Turkish).

“The Armenian Genocide (Der Völkermord an den Armeniern).” Journal of the Hamburg Social Sciences Institute (Mittelweg 36) 4, April–May 1995 (in German).

“Turks and Armenians: Toward a discussion of the Armenian massacres” (Wir Türken und die Armenier. Plaedoyer für die Auseinandersetzung mit dem Massen Mord. In Armenians and the Republic of Armenia: Homeland and Exile (Armenierund Armenien: Heimat und Exil). Tessa Hofmann ed. Hamburg: RoRoRo Verlag, 1994 (in German).

“Reasons for the Weak Tradition of Liberal and Democratic Thought in Turkey” (Türkiye’de Demokratik ve Liberal Düşüncenin Zayıflığı ve Nedenleri). In Socialism and Human Rights (Insan Haklari ve Sosyalizm). İnönü Alpat, ed. Ankara: Su Yayınları, 1993 (in Turkish).

“The Eurocentric Historical Analysis of Minorities (Avrupa Merkezli Tarih Anlayışı ve Azınlıklar Sorunu).” Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 45/46, January-February 1993 (in Turkish).

“Approaching Nationalism through the Concept of Collective Identity” (Ulusal Meseleye Bir Kollektif Kimlik Sorunu Olarak Yaklasmak). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 45/46, January–February 1993 (in Turkish).

“Reflections on the Relationship between Civilization and Violence” (Şiddet ve Medeniyet İlişkisi Üzerine Çeşitlemeler). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 38/39, June–July 1992. (in Turkish).

“Methodological Issues in Researching the Social Act of Torture: A Critical Reflection on Objectivity.” (Untersuchung der Folter. Ein Erfahrungsbericht). Journal of the Hamburg Social Sciences Institute (Mittelweg 36) 1, January 1992.

“Normalizing Torture: The Perception of Violence in Turkey” (Die Normalität der Folter. Die Wahrnehmung von Gewalt in der Türkei). In Torture as the Enactment of State Power (Folter. Zur Analyse eines Herrschaftsmittel), Jann Philipp Reemtsma, ed. Hamburg: Junious Verlag, 1991 (in German).

“Crises of the TurkishRepublic: Kurds and the Concept of the Nation-State” (TC’nin Krizi, Ulusal Devlet ve Kürtler). Birikim (Turkish Social Science Journal) 24, April 1991 (in Turkish).

“Marx, Engels and Lenin on Asian Societies” (Marks, Engels ve Lenin’in Asya Toplumlarına Bakışları). Defter (Record of Turkish Social Issues) 8, Winter 1989 (in Turkish).

(Many essays and pamphlets on European racism in general and German hostility to immigrants in particular; references upon request.)

MANUSCRIPTS

I. Completed Works

The Policies of the Committee for Union and Progress [Ittihat ve Terakki] towards Armenians in 1915 as Seen through Ottoman Documents (a paper presented at the “Istanbul Conference,” “Ottoman Armenians during the Decline of the Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility and Democracy,” organized by BoğaziçiUniversity, BilgiUniversity and SabancıUniversity, 24­25 September 2005)

“A new Assessment of the Ottoman Archival Materials”(paper presented at a Panel Discussion: “Three Turkish Voices on the Ottoman Armenians,” University of California at Los Angeles, November 6, 2005.)

The Founding and Operation of the Ottoman Military Tribunals (Divan-ı Harbi Örfi) 1919-1922 and the List of Caseson Armenian Genocide (conference presentation at theFourth Turkish-ArmenianWorkshop, “Ideologies of Revolution, Nation, and Empire:Political Ideas, Parties, and Practices at the End of the Ottoman Empire,1878-1922.”Salzburg, Austria April 15-17, 2005)

“Moral Claims and Historical Truths: The Turkish Government and the Armenian Genocide”(conference presentation, “Markets as Sites of Interdisciplinary History,” Social Science History Association,Chicago, November 18–21, 2004).

“The Ittihadist Solution to the ‘Armenian Issue’ and the Question of Republican Turkish Identity” (conference presentation,“In History and Beyond History, Armenians and Turks: AThousand Years of Relations,”Venice and Europe Institute, Venice, Italy, October 28–30, 2004).

“Where are the Borders of Turkey?” (conference presentation,“Borderlands: Theories, Perspectives, Histories,”University of Minnesota, September 30–October 3, 2004).

“A New Approach to the Assessment of the Ottoman Documents Regarding the Armenian Genocide” (conference presentation, “Contextualizing the Armenian Experience in the Ottoman Empire: From the Balkan Wars to the New Turkish Republic,” University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, March 8–10, 2002).

“The Construction of Collective Identities in Armenian-Turkish Relations” (conference presentation, “Armenians Before and After the Genocide: History, Culture, and Memory,” University of Minnesota, September 2002).

“The European Parliament’s Decisions Regarding the Armenian Genocide and Suggestions for a Possible Resolution” (conference presentation, “Genocide Decision of the European Union and Turkey,”Copenhagen, May 2002).

II. Works in Progress

Documentation of the Yozgat and Trabzon Trials in 1919 in Istanbul in Ottoman Newspapers (book manuscript, in Turkish and English).

Eyewitnesses of the Genocide: Documentation of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Newspapers, 1918–1922 (book manuscript, in Turkish and English).

Population Policy and Ethnic Cleansing in Anatolia, 1913–1918(book manuscript, in Turkish, based on approximately 500 Ottoman archival documents).

III. Honors and Awards

Candidate for Arthur Ross Book Award, Council on Foreign Relations. 2008.

Minnesota Book Award for A Shameful Act, General Nonfiction. May 2006.

American Film Institute honor Golden Apricot Film Festival (Armenia) and Arpa International Film Festival for appearance in the critically acclaimed 2006 cinema documentary “Screamers.”

Hrant Dink Award. Armenian Bar Association. April 2006.

Massachusetts State House. Distinguished Scholar – for outstanding work in human rights and fighting genocide denial. April 2006.

State of Minnesota; City of Duluth, and City of Rochester recognized the “groundbreaking work of Turkish Scholars such as Taner Akçam” in official proclamation of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day April 24, 2005

Appearance in the Emmy Nominated PBS documentary Armenian Genocide: 90 Years Later (for 2005).

Middle East Studies Association Academic Freedom Award to scholars engaged in the Turkish-Armenian Workshop in recognition of a successful collective effort, to initiate and implement a project that overcame political divisions in society and in the academy. 2005.

TEACHING

I. Courses Taught

Modern History of Middle East and Turkey (University of Minnesota)

History of Modern Turkey (University of Minnesota)

Emergence of Nationalism in the Middle East (University of Minnesota)

History of Islam in the Early Period (University of Minnesota)

History, Memory and Conflict Resolution (University of Minnesota)

International Conflict Resolution: The Armenian-Turkish Case, Possibilities and Obstacles to a Turkish-Armenian Dialogue (University of Michigan)

The Economic and Political History of Modern Turkey (University of Oldenburg, Germany)

Statistical Methods (Middle East Technical University, Turkey)

Political Economy (Middle EastTechnicalUniversity)

Introduction to Turkish Economy (Middle EastTechnicalUniversity)

II. Courses Planned (syllabi available upon request)

Islam and the West: Westernization in the Islamic World

Turkish-Armenian Relations and the History of the Armenian Genocide

Ethnicity, Ethnic Relations, and the Nation-State

Sociology of Genocide

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