Conclusions

This chapter explores how insights from social and political psychology – particularly the literature on collective victimhood – can illuminate the contemporary relevance of a century of forced migrations between Greece and Turkey. It offers a critical review of key concepts such as historical victimisation, collective victimhood, master narratives, and chosen traumas. It highlights how selective memories of past suffering shape group identities, inform intergroup dynamics, and influence present-day attitudes towards security, reconciliation, and immigration. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, the chapter shows that such memories are not static but are continuously reshaped by political actors, social discourse, and generational transmission. It argues that Greece and Turkey, with their complex histories of displacement and conflict, are particularly fertile ground for examining how legacies of collective trauma continue to affect bilateral relations and domestic politics. The chapter concludes by proposing a future research agenda that investigates how dominant victimhood narratives in both countries influence foreign policy, societal attitudes towards migrants, and broader questions of identity and memory. In doing so, it calls for greater interdisciplinary dialogue between psychology, history, and international relations to better understand the long-term consequences of forced migration and the prospects for reconciliation.