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AHISKA TURKS: NOT QUITE HOME
Today's Zaman
17 October 2008, Friday
Turkey
Ä°smail (R) and Habibe Gulel, who moved to Antalya from Kazakhstan
in 1993, are Ahıska Turks -- an ethnic group that was deported to
Georgia from Central Asia during the rule of Joseph Stalin in 1944.
After 60 years of exile all over the ex-Soviet Union, many Ahıska
Turks have now settled in Turkey, but their dream of returning home to
the province they were deported from in Georgia is as strong as ever.
As immigrants here they have many cards in their favor, such as a
shared culture and language, but also face some of the challenges
other foreigners do, three generations of Ahıska Turks explained
their situation.
Turks, not Kazakhs, Uzbeks or Kyrgyz
One of the first questions you're asked anywhere is about where you're
from. The answer to this is a bit complicated if you're an Ahıska
Turk as Stalin erased their homeland from the map after he exiled
them to Central Asia in November 1944.
Ferman Yusufali, who is now 75, provided a clear, concise reply
to that question, saying: "I was 10 when we were deported from the
region in Georgia known today as Samtskhe-Javakhetia. It's on the
border area with the Kars-Ardahan region in Turkey-covering some
6,000 square kilometers in the Caucasus. In the 16th century the
Ottomans conquered our capital, Akhaltsikhe, and it became part of the
Cildir province. Today that corresponds with the Turkish provinces of
Artvin, Ardahan and Erzurum, the Autonomous Republic of Adjaria and
Samtskhe-Javakhetia in Georgia. After the Treaty of Kars was signed in
1921 about a third of the province-including Samtskhe-Javakhetia-was
ceded to the Soviet Union."
"Towards the end of WWII, Stalin deported the Ahiska Turks and 10
other ethnic groups (such as the Ingush, Crimean Tartars and Chechens)
because they had either collaborated with the Nazis or he suspected
they would," he went on, adding, "Even though at the time there were
an estimated 40,000 Ahıska Turks in the Red Army some 120-140,000
Ahiska Turks (old people, women, children and men wounded in the war)
were put in cattle wagons and deported to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and
Kyrgyzstan. Around 30,000 died from hunger, the cold and disease on
the month-long journey. Some 27,000 Ahiska Turks were killed during
WWII and we never found out where they were buried (we will never find
out where my father was buried); many Ahiska Turk soldiers returning
from the war never found their families. After Stalin's death in 1953
only the Ahiska Turks weren't allowed home because our homeland was on
the border between the ex-Soviet Union and NATO. In 1965 restrictions
on Ahiska Turks' right to movement within the ex-USSR were finally
lifted and in 1981 my family moved from Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan,
a country with a similar culture and language. We were treated
very well there. That wasn't the case for Ahıska Turks in many
other ex-Soviet Union countries though. Even though Stalin was gone
they still encountered mistrust and discrimination in all aspects
of life. That came to a head in1989 with violent clashes aimed at
Ahıska Turks in the Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan in which 100s of
Ahıska Turks were killed. "
So how did it become possible for them to come to Turkey and why
haven't they returned to their homeland? Ferman explained: "Many
families moved here after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Turkey
passed a special law in 1992, referring to us as 'Ahıska Turks'
(not the Georgian term 'Meskhetians') authorizing our migration
here. Initially 130 families were resettled in Igdir with help
from the Turkish government. The same law also made it possible
for us to become dual citizens. There are an estimated 200-300,000
Ahıska Turks worldwide (mostly in the ex-USSR) and since 1992 around
40-50,000 have moved to Turkey, with 700-800 famililes in Antalya. I
moved to Antalya with my family and relatives in 1997. The Georgian
government has passed law related to us returning to Georgia, but
it's unsatisfactory. For example, it doesn't contain provisions for
matters such as return of property or land or recognise the fact that
we were deported."
At home in Turkey
Being an immigrant anywhere can be a very challenging
experience. Culture and language are key factors to being able to
make the transition from one country to another but the Ahıska Turks
haven't found the process difficult given their Ottoman past. Over
the past 60 years, wherever they have been, culture and language
have been of the utmost importance them, a way to assert and maintain
their identity. Added to which, their reasons for being here are more
profound than for the majority of other foreigners.
Being Sunni muslims religious occasions, such as weddings, funerals,
ramazan, bayram and circumcisions, are an important part of life as are
family (with three generations living in one household) and respect
for elders. Ahıska culture also includes popular beliefs found in
Turkey, such as "nazar." Their folk music is similar that in Turkey,
with the same instruments, but it also contains elements from Azeri,
Georgian and Armenian. "We have a very rich culture," said Habibe
Gulel who is 19 and studying politics at Ankara University.
Food can be a major issue abroad. Again this isn't the case for
the Ahıska Turks as their cuisine is very similar to that found in
Turkey. "We often eat 'pilav,' 'corba,' 'mantı' (similar to Turkish
mantı but bigger), 'dolma,' 'kaymak,' 'baklava' and 'komposto,' just
like they do here. We also drink 'ayran' and 'serbet,'" explained
Ismail Gulel, 55, who moved here from Kazakhstan with his family in
1993. "Of course, our food has also been influenced by where we've
lived and includes dishes from the Caucasus as well as from Central
Asia," he added.
Ahıska Turks have a major advantage over other foreigners here as they
speak a variety of Turkish similar to the Kars dialect. For the most
part it's a spoken language as in places like Central Asia they had
little access to written Turkish of any kind before the 1990s. After
that Gorbachev introduced a one-hour Turkish class once a week and
Fetullah Gullen opened Turkish schools there. At home they spoke
Ahıska Turkish and in the outside world used other languages which led
to borrowing words from Georgian, Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Uzbek
for certain things. In Azerbaijan the situation is different, for as
Ferman pointed out, Azeri Turkish is studied at school and both Azeri
Turkish and Ahıska Turkish use a great deal of Ottoman vocabulary
and are largely untouched by Ataturk's language reforms of 1928.
"When Ahıska Turks first arrive here it takes them about three
months to learn the Turkish spoken here," explained Habibe. "Some
people-like my brother who was 14 when we got here-go on language
courses to learn to read and write it," she added. Being here
also deepens their knowledge of the language, as Ä°smail explained:
"Although 'Hurriyet' is a girl's name in Kazakhistan I didn't realise
the name had a meaning until I got to Turkey." There are occasionally
misunderstandings, however, such as when they reply "kendim," which
comes across as very rude, instead of "anladım" (I understand).
Asked why he moved here from Azerbaijan, Ferman replied: "Because
I'm a Turk and I wanted to find out what that really means." Others,
such as Ismail, are very pleased to be in a country they feel safe
after enduring decades of ethnic and religious discrimination under
Soviet rule. "This is our fatherland; we're very happy here. Above
all, here we no longer face the psychological pressure of a daily
threat of violence against us for being Turks," Ismail explained.
Immigrants all the same
Ahıska Turks, the same as any other foreigner here, are also faced
with the challenge of learning how things work in another country,
such as how to find accommodation, how the health system works or
where to pay your bills.
During their exile solidarity and mutual aid have been of the utmost
importance to Ahıska Turks and the situation here is no different:
throughout Turkey-in places as diverse as Hatay and Bursa-there
are 40 Ahıska Turk cultural associations. These also function as
a support network and drop-in centers, offering advice to Ahıska
Turks from many ex-Soviet Union countries e.g Ukraine, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan related to living in Turkey as well as on
matters related to filing a land or property claim in Georgia.
The issue of employment is a matter of concern for Ahıska
Turks. İsmail is among the few Ahıska Turks with a profession-he's a
surgeon and now works at a state hospital in Antalya. He lamented that
only 5 percent of Ahıska Turks are trained professionals as a result
of discrimination in ex-Soviet Union countries. "In general they're
unskilled workers," he explained, adding, "Many come to Antalya to
work in the tourism sector in response to the demand for people who
speak both Turkish and Russian. This was also the case for my family:
we initially settled in Igdir in 1993 but both my sons came to Antalya
to work in tourism." The whole family eventually relocated to Antalya
in 2005.
Given the nature of the tourism sector many Ahıska Turks come for
just the season and save money to take home. Ä°smail highlighted
that in Kazakhistan, for example, the average monthly wage is $100
and that here they can earn from $400-1,000 a month. "It's not easy
for seasonal workers as they work long hours, sleep 10 to a room and
are fed badly," he emphasised.
The future
Turks are curious about whether foreigners intend to stay here. Asked
where he sees himself in 10 years' time, Ferman replied: "I'll be
here in Turkey; I'm tired of moving." For his part, Ä°smail said: "If
the Georgian government doesn't amend its policies towards us then we
will live and die here, always missing our homeland." Habibe replied:
"If the circumstances change and we are recognised as 'Ahıskas,' I
would like to become a governor in our homeland. If that doesn't happen
then I'd like to stay in Turkey and become a governor somewhere here.
--Boundary_(ID_vWg4ymCMApY51AWUlDM49w)--
Today's Zaman
17 October 2008, Friday
Turkey
Ä°smail (R) and Habibe Gulel, who moved to Antalya from Kazakhstan
in 1993, are Ahıska Turks -- an ethnic group that was deported to
Georgia from Central Asia during the rule of Joseph Stalin in 1944.
After 60 years of exile all over the ex-Soviet Union, many Ahıska
Turks have now settled in Turkey, but their dream of returning home to
the province they were deported from in Georgia is as strong as ever.
As immigrants here they have many cards in their favor, such as a
shared culture and language, but also face some of the challenges
other foreigners do, three generations of Ahıska Turks explained
their situation.
Turks, not Kazakhs, Uzbeks or Kyrgyz
One of the first questions you're asked anywhere is about where you're
from. The answer to this is a bit complicated if you're an Ahıska
Turk as Stalin erased their homeland from the map after he exiled
them to Central Asia in November 1944.
Ferman Yusufali, who is now 75, provided a clear, concise reply
to that question, saying: "I was 10 when we were deported from the
region in Georgia known today as Samtskhe-Javakhetia. It's on the
border area with the Kars-Ardahan region in Turkey-covering some
6,000 square kilometers in the Caucasus. In the 16th century the
Ottomans conquered our capital, Akhaltsikhe, and it became part of the
Cildir province. Today that corresponds with the Turkish provinces of
Artvin, Ardahan and Erzurum, the Autonomous Republic of Adjaria and
Samtskhe-Javakhetia in Georgia. After the Treaty of Kars was signed in
1921 about a third of the province-including Samtskhe-Javakhetia-was
ceded to the Soviet Union."
"Towards the end of WWII, Stalin deported the Ahiska Turks and 10
other ethnic groups (such as the Ingush, Crimean Tartars and Chechens)
because they had either collaborated with the Nazis or he suspected
they would," he went on, adding, "Even though at the time there were
an estimated 40,000 Ahıska Turks in the Red Army some 120-140,000
Ahiska Turks (old people, women, children and men wounded in the war)
were put in cattle wagons and deported to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and
Kyrgyzstan. Around 30,000 died from hunger, the cold and disease on
the month-long journey. Some 27,000 Ahiska Turks were killed during
WWII and we never found out where they were buried (we will never find
out where my father was buried); many Ahiska Turk soldiers returning
from the war never found their families. After Stalin's death in 1953
only the Ahiska Turks weren't allowed home because our homeland was on
the border between the ex-Soviet Union and NATO. In 1965 restrictions
on Ahiska Turks' right to movement within the ex-USSR were finally
lifted and in 1981 my family moved from Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan,
a country with a similar culture and language. We were treated
very well there. That wasn't the case for Ahıska Turks in many
other ex-Soviet Union countries though. Even though Stalin was gone
they still encountered mistrust and discrimination in all aspects
of life. That came to a head in1989 with violent clashes aimed at
Ahıska Turks in the Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan in which 100s of
Ahıska Turks were killed. "
So how did it become possible for them to come to Turkey and why
haven't they returned to their homeland? Ferman explained: "Many
families moved here after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Turkey
passed a special law in 1992, referring to us as 'Ahıska Turks'
(not the Georgian term 'Meskhetians') authorizing our migration
here. Initially 130 families were resettled in Igdir with help
from the Turkish government. The same law also made it possible
for us to become dual citizens. There are an estimated 200-300,000
Ahıska Turks worldwide (mostly in the ex-USSR) and since 1992 around
40-50,000 have moved to Turkey, with 700-800 famililes in Antalya. I
moved to Antalya with my family and relatives in 1997. The Georgian
government has passed law related to us returning to Georgia, but
it's unsatisfactory. For example, it doesn't contain provisions for
matters such as return of property or land or recognise the fact that
we were deported."
At home in Turkey
Being an immigrant anywhere can be a very challenging
experience. Culture and language are key factors to being able to
make the transition from one country to another but the Ahıska Turks
haven't found the process difficult given their Ottoman past. Over
the past 60 years, wherever they have been, culture and language
have been of the utmost importance them, a way to assert and maintain
their identity. Added to which, their reasons for being here are more
profound than for the majority of other foreigners.
Being Sunni muslims religious occasions, such as weddings, funerals,
ramazan, bayram and circumcisions, are an important part of life as are
family (with three generations living in one household) and respect
for elders. Ahıska culture also includes popular beliefs found in
Turkey, such as "nazar." Their folk music is similar that in Turkey,
with the same instruments, but it also contains elements from Azeri,
Georgian and Armenian. "We have a very rich culture," said Habibe
Gulel who is 19 and studying politics at Ankara University.
Food can be a major issue abroad. Again this isn't the case for
the Ahıska Turks as their cuisine is very similar to that found in
Turkey. "We often eat 'pilav,' 'corba,' 'mantı' (similar to Turkish
mantı but bigger), 'dolma,' 'kaymak,' 'baklava' and 'komposto,' just
like they do here. We also drink 'ayran' and 'serbet,'" explained
Ismail Gulel, 55, who moved here from Kazakhstan with his family in
1993. "Of course, our food has also been influenced by where we've
lived and includes dishes from the Caucasus as well as from Central
Asia," he added.
Ahıska Turks have a major advantage over other foreigners here as they
speak a variety of Turkish similar to the Kars dialect. For the most
part it's a spoken language as in places like Central Asia they had
little access to written Turkish of any kind before the 1990s. After
that Gorbachev introduced a one-hour Turkish class once a week and
Fetullah Gullen opened Turkish schools there. At home they spoke
Ahıska Turkish and in the outside world used other languages which led
to borrowing words from Georgian, Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Uzbek
for certain things. In Azerbaijan the situation is different, for as
Ferman pointed out, Azeri Turkish is studied at school and both Azeri
Turkish and Ahıska Turkish use a great deal of Ottoman vocabulary
and are largely untouched by Ataturk's language reforms of 1928.
"When Ahıska Turks first arrive here it takes them about three
months to learn the Turkish spoken here," explained Habibe. "Some
people-like my brother who was 14 when we got here-go on language
courses to learn to read and write it," she added. Being here
also deepens their knowledge of the language, as Ä°smail explained:
"Although 'Hurriyet' is a girl's name in Kazakhistan I didn't realise
the name had a meaning until I got to Turkey." There are occasionally
misunderstandings, however, such as when they reply "kendim," which
comes across as very rude, instead of "anladım" (I understand).
Asked why he moved here from Azerbaijan, Ferman replied: "Because
I'm a Turk and I wanted to find out what that really means." Others,
such as Ismail, are very pleased to be in a country they feel safe
after enduring decades of ethnic and religious discrimination under
Soviet rule. "This is our fatherland; we're very happy here. Above
all, here we no longer face the psychological pressure of a daily
threat of violence against us for being Turks," Ismail explained.
Immigrants all the same
Ahıska Turks, the same as any other foreigner here, are also faced
with the challenge of learning how things work in another country,
such as how to find accommodation, how the health system works or
where to pay your bills.
During their exile solidarity and mutual aid have been of the utmost
importance to Ahıska Turks and the situation here is no different:
throughout Turkey-in places as diverse as Hatay and Bursa-there
are 40 Ahıska Turk cultural associations. These also function as
a support network and drop-in centers, offering advice to Ahıska
Turks from many ex-Soviet Union countries e.g Ukraine, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan related to living in Turkey as well as on
matters related to filing a land or property claim in Georgia.
The issue of employment is a matter of concern for Ahıska
Turks. İsmail is among the few Ahıska Turks with a profession-he's a
surgeon and now works at a state hospital in Antalya. He lamented that
only 5 percent of Ahıska Turks are trained professionals as a result
of discrimination in ex-Soviet Union countries. "In general they're
unskilled workers," he explained, adding, "Many come to Antalya to
work in the tourism sector in response to the demand for people who
speak both Turkish and Russian. This was also the case for my family:
we initially settled in Igdir in 1993 but both my sons came to Antalya
to work in tourism." The whole family eventually relocated to Antalya
in 2005.
Given the nature of the tourism sector many Ahıska Turks come for
just the season and save money to take home. Ä°smail highlighted
that in Kazakhistan, for example, the average monthly wage is $100
and that here they can earn from $400-1,000 a month. "It's not easy
for seasonal workers as they work long hours, sleep 10 to a room and
are fed badly," he emphasised.
The future
Turks are curious about whether foreigners intend to stay here. Asked
where he sees himself in 10 years' time, Ferman replied: "I'll be
here in Turkey; I'm tired of moving." For his part, Ä°smail said: "If
the Georgian government doesn't amend its policies towards us then we
will live and die here, always missing our homeland." Habibe replied:
"If the circumstances change and we are recognised as 'Ahıskas,' I
would like to become a governor in our homeland. If that doesn't happen
then I'd like to stay in Turkey and become a governor somewhere here.
--Boundary_(ID_vWg4ymCMApY51AWUlDM49w)--