Tehcir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tehcir (Turkish: Zorunlu Göç) is an Ottoman concept which resembles the current notions of "population transfer". From dictionary definition, Tehcir means, relocating a population or a sub population from one region to another within a country or a territory that the enforcing agent has the control. Tehcir was used as a governmental tool to deal with inter-ethnic or security related issues during the Ottoman era. The most famous application of the law is explained under "Tehcir Law".
Tehcir is a concept, as used in the Ottoman Empire, which also lies in the arguments of Armenian Genocide. Armenian Genocide claims that Tehcir Law was a tool to destroy the Armenian people. Tehcir must not be confused with deportation, which is expulsion of foreigners from a country, or banishment, exile, penal transportation and extradition, which generally means the expulsion of native or foreign residents from a country. Ottoman use of Tehcir as forced relocation within the same territory is distinctly different than deportation, exile and extradition from a territory.
