Meskhetian Turks: origins, characteristics, problems of the people

The history of the emergence and formation of such a people as the Meskhetian Turks is covered with interesting historical facts. The position of this nation on the geographic and socio-political map of the world remains highly controversial for several decades already. The origin of the Turks and the features of their identification in the modern world are the object of research by a number of scientists - sociologists, anthropologists, historians and lawyers.

Until now, in the study of this issue, researchers have not come to a single denominator. Important is the fact that the Meskhetian Turks themselves unambiguously denote their ethnicity.

One group refers to the indigenous Georgians who converted to Islam in the 17th and 18th centuries. And who has mastered the Turkish language; The other is the descendants of the Turks who found themselves in Georgia during the time of the Ottoman Empire. In one way or another, representatives of this people in connection with historical events suffered many migrations and led a nomadic way of life. This is due to several waves of deportations that the Meskhetian Turks experienced (from Meskheti located in the territory of South Georgia in the Meskhet-Javakheti region). Moreover, the Meskhetians call themselves the Akhaltsikhe Turks (Ahıska Türkler).

The first large-scale expulsion from the settled native places dates back to 1944. It was then on Stalin's order that the "disagreeable" in the person of Meskhetian Turks, Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Greeks, Germans should be deported. It was during this period that more than 90,000 Meskhetians went to the Uzbek, Kazakh and Kirghiz SSR.

Thus, not having recovered from the ordeal, the Meskhetian Turks of the new generation suffered harassment as a result of military operations in the Ferghana Valley of the Uzbek SSR. Having become victims of mass slaughter, after the order of the Government of the USSR they were evacuated to Central Russia. One of the main goals that were pursued by the Ferghana "zavaruhami" was the Kremlin's pressure on Georgia and all the people who declared their desire to be independent and free in April 1989.

With the growing conflict and instability of the situation not only in Ferghana, but also in other territories of the country, the Turks dispersed in Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In total, about 70 thousand people became internally displaced persons.

In the modern world, the issue of repatriation and protection of the rights of the Meskhetian people is very urgent and complex, acting on the forefront of international relations and political upheavals. The problem is aggravated by the ambiguity of goals, terms and wishes, both on the part of the authorities and the representatives of the people themselves.

Having joined the Council of Europe in 1999, Georgia undertook to raise and resolve the question of the return of the Turks to their homeland within 12 years, intensify the process of repatriation and integration, and give them their official citizenship.

However, there are factors that complicate the implementation of this project. Among them:

- the once active armenization of the historical homeland of the Turks (Meskheti and Javakheti); The fanatical attitudes of the aggression of one minority against the return of another to this territory are traced;

- insufficiently resolute position of the Georgian authorities;

- a low level of legislative and legal framework governing this issue, which is the reason for the lack of result of all decisions taken and voiced.