Armenia Holds Duke Scholar

Duke officials contest charges of book smuggling

Thursday, June 30, 2005

Durham, N.C. -- A Duke researcher was detained at Yerevan airport June 17 on suspicion of smuggling antique books out of Armenia, according to Duke officials and Armenian security officials.

Yektan Turkyilmaz, a Turkish citizen of Kurdish heritage, had been arrested in possession of books dating from the 17th to 20th centuries and was suspected of seeking to take them secretly on a flight to Turkey.

Turkyilmaz is a doctoral student in Duke's cultural anthropology department, according to the department's website. His dissertation is on the effects of geography and nationhood on Turkey's society.

Books older than 50 years cannot be taken out of Armenia without special permission. Turkyilmaz was in Armenia to carry out research in the Armenian national archives, the first Turk to be allowed to do so. The two neighboring countries are long-standing enemies, in part because of the killings of Armenians in Turkey during World War I.

Tukyilmaz’s dissertation adviser Professor Orin Starn cast doubts on the Armenian claims, saying he had worked in numerous archives previously without any problems.

“My fear is that he has been caught in the middle of an explosive, long-running conflict,” Starn told the Associated Press. “He is a bridge builder.”

Duke officials have been working with American government officials on Tukyilmaz’s behalf.