UCLA LAUNCHES RESEARCH PROJECT ON AUCTIONING OF STOLEN ARMENIAN PROPERTIES
UCLA, Los Angeles, CA — The Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA announced an upcoming webinar on Monday, June 16, at 10 A.M. (PT) that will present groundbreaking research on the fate of Armenian properties confiscated during and after the Armenian Genocide. The webinar, “The Auctioning of Stolen Armenian Properties: Emval-i Metruke,” is co-sponsored by the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, the Armenian Bar Association, and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).
Drawing on a rare collection of newspaper notices from the 1920s and 1930s, the study examines how these so-called “Abandoned Properties” (referred to as Emval-i Metruke) were publicly auctioned, with announcements published in local newspapers across 34 cities and towns in the early decades of the Turkish Republic. The event will highlight both the historical context of these “Abandoned Properties” (Emval-i Metruke) and the ongoing effort to digitally archive and translate these records from Ottoman Turkish into modern Turkish and English.
Independent researcher Sait Çetinoğlu compiled these invaluable materials over many years, in addition to contributing an extensive introductory study on the mechanisms of property confiscation. With the support of the AGRP, this entire archive has now been digitized, translated, and made fully searchable for the first time. All texts are available in both Turkish and English, with translations prepared by researcher Attila Tuygan and AGRP Program Coordinator Nanor Hartounian. The archive will be made available on the AGRP’s website following the event.
During the webinar, AGRP Director Dr. Taner Akçam will place the findings in a broader historical context—exploring the intersection of mass violence, state policy, and economic plunder—and help expand our collective understanding of this lesser-known chapter of the Armenian Genocide. This research sheds light on the systematic expropriation and redistribution of Armenian wealth—an essential and parallel dimension of the genocide. It also confronts the archival challenges of recovering these fragmented records and invites collaboration from those who may have access to additional material.
To learn more and register for the event, please visit the AGRP’s website at bit.ly/AGRP06-16-25.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding this project, contact AGRP Program Coordinator Nanor Hartounian at nhartounian@international.
The Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) was established within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Dr. Taner Akçam, the AGRP engages in research and scholarly activities pertaining to the study of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century.
