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The seventh conference of the 2026 Ömer Engin Lütem Lectures was held on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. During the event, Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Yavuz delivered a presentation titled “Ottoman Armenians, Protestant Missionary Work, and Western Public Opinion” (“Osmanlı Ermenileri, Protestan Misyonerliği ve Batı Kamuoyu”).

Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Yavuz evaluated the life of the Armenian cleric Gregory Wortabet, the activities of Cuthbert George Young, who provided support from Britain to American missions within Ottoman territories, and the progression of these relations by focusing Young’s works. Yavuz explained during his conference how Wortabet’s conversion to Protestantism was portrayed in missionary publications, as well as how Anglo-American cooperation contributed to educational initiatives among Armenians and the institutionalization of the Armenian Protestant community. In this framework, Yavuz analyzed the connection between missionary activities and the evolution of the Armenian Question, and emphasized in particular the role that missionary journals and newspapers played in shaping Western public opinion during the 1890s.

The conference concluded following a Q&A session.