Blood Feud: Vengenance of Blood or the Collective Fight for Honour

This study centers on anthropological and sociological dimensions of blood feud as a penalizing practice and means of violence around the Southeastern Anatolian region in Turkey. For the groups which asumes each other as relatives, the feeling of acting together against any injustice increases the blood feuds since persons are perceived as members of a tribe rather than self reliant individuals around the region which has been organized within the scope of patrilinear system. Moreover honour, dignity and fame are the concepts whom agents hide behind during vengenance taking and/or first action which starts the blood feud. If problems such as fights around the land ownership, making passes at women, molestation, rape or abduction of women, murder of a family member or being insulted are all accepted as indignity for the honour of family and the “shame” usually is “cleaned” through blood feud.