"The Hatay belongs to us": Defining Community in the Sanjak of Alexandretta, 1915-1940

Abstract

In 1936, the Republic of Turkey and French-mandate Syria were at odds over the future of a province on the Turkish-Syrian border called the Sanjak of Alexandretta. This thesis explores the Turkish annexation of Alexandretta, investigating currents of both belonging and resistance in the crisis. With particular attention to Armenian and Alawite communities in the province, it asks to what extend individuals could belong in the new Republic of Turkey without necessarily being Turkish. It draws on national writings regarding language, religion, and history from the era in addition to the writings and activities of the Turkish Republican People's Houses.