<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>----<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>.....TURKISTAN NEWSLETTER...ISSN:--1386-6265....<<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>--------------------------------------------<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>......Editor/Manager: Mehmet Tutuncu........<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>......Business: H.Savas, S.Bogut............<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>...Features: I. Noyan-Izmirli,Y. Puersuen...<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>......Technical: T. Ates, K. Cagiltay.......<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>>......Associate Editors: A.Baguirov, A. Eren, Z.Kadir...<<>><<>>
<<>>...Editorial Board: Dr.T.Kocaoglu, Dr. N.Sariahmetoglu......<<>><<>>
<<>>...........Dr. M. Hubey, Dr. Robert M. Cutler...............<<>><<>>
<<>>------------------------------------------------------------<<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>><<>>....Volume:97-1:8---11--June--1997......<<>><<>><<>><<>>
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<>Uze kok tengri asra yagiz yer kilintukta ekin ara kisi ogli kilinmis<>
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********Archives of the Turkistan Newsletter can be found at:***********
********<http://www.euronet.nl/users/sota/turkistan.htm>****************
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1. Kyrgyz News -- Naryn Aiyp
.....8 June 1997
Agreemeents with South Korea, Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan
.....9 June 1997
Picketing continues in Bishek, Loan from the Asian Bank for
Reconstruction, Privatization debate continues
.....10 June 1997
Journalists sentenced, New criminal code
2. Analytical Essay- Part Two - Zulfiye Kadir
....The Current Political Situation in the Muslim Republics of Russia
3. RFE/RL & Misc News -- Yanki Puersuen
...The world Abkhazian Congress, Izmir reaches out, Breweries being built
4. ROT (Republic of Turkey) News -- TRH-- A. Toprak
....Greece, Armenia Deny Support for PKK
.....Russian Gas to Israel via Turkey
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KYRGYZ NEWS - 8 JUNE 1997 -- Naryn Aiyp
1. President press secretary, Kanybek Imanaliev, held a press conference in
Bishkek on 7 June on the results of the President Askar Alayev's visit to
South Korea. Kyrgyz delegation was in S. Korea on 3-6 June.
Korean President Kim Yuong Sam and Kyrgyz President signed a declaration on
friendship and cooperation. Also, they signed two agreements : on culture
cooperation between two countries and on coopreation between foreign
ministries.
According to Imanaliev, 3 other agreements had been prepared: on tourism, on
supporting the foreign investments and on the South Korean $12-million loan to
Kyrgyzstan. This loan will be given Kyrgyzstan through S.Korean firm Khanva.
President Akayev met with the leaders of some South Korean firms, too:
Samsung, Goldstar, Hunday, Khanva, Lotte and others. President of the firm
Shindonga, Choi Sun Yun, agreed to come to Kyrgyzstan on 22 June. Also,
leadership of the Goldstar agreed to resume cooperation with Kyrgyz
government. Goldstar built its plant in the Kyrgyz town of Tokmok early in the
1990s, but the cooperation was interrupted when Kurgyzstan run in debt and
could not pay it. Kyrgyz government owes the Goldstar $3,856,000).
2. Kyrgyz foreign ministry announced in Bishkek on 7 June that either
President Akayev or the State secretary, Ishenbai Abdurazakov, will take part
in the NATO sammit in Madrid on 8-9 July.
3. Defense ministry announced in Bishkek on 7 June that Chinese defense
minister, Chi Xao Tsian, will visit Kyrgyzstan on 16 June. According to Kyrgyz
military officials, no official document will be signed in Bishkek during his
visit.
4. OSCE High commissioner on minorities, Max Van der Stoel, met with Kyrgyz
Minister of education, science and culture, Askar Kakeev, in Bishkek on 7
June, Ministry spokeswoman announced. OSCE agreed to give $12,000 help to
print textbooks. Also, OSCE will help to open a small printing house in the
city of Osh.
The same day, on 7 June, OSCE commissioner visited Osh city and took part in
the conference on ethnic problems, held by Assembly of people of Kyrgyzstan.
5. Duishen Abdylda Uulu, president of the Islamic Center 'Akyl-Es, Rukh,
Yiman', told our correspondent in Bishkek on 7 June, that the State Radio and
TV had agreed to broadcast weekly islam program. It will begin every Friday at
22:10, local time, and will last 30 minutes. First programs will be held by a
professor from Egypt, Abdylmajit Zindani.
According to Duishen Abdylda Uulu, only RFE/RL has broadcasted weekly
religious program in the Kyrgyz to date.
6. New joint-ventire, producing Swiss cheese, opened in the village of
Jyluu-Bulak in the Issyk-Kul region last week. Swiss representative,
Hans-Peter Fisher, told our correspondent in Bishkek on 7 June, that he had
had to receive permissions for it from 69 different authorities in Kyrgyzstan.
According to Fisher, it is a sign that there is no free market in Kyrgyzstan
yet.
7. Akhmed Madeyuev, executive director of the Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation,
told our correspondent in Bishkek on 7 June that the Foundation would open a
summer camp for children of refugees in Kyrgyzstan. First 100 children (some
of them together with their parents) will begin to have a rest in the camp
near Bishkek on 19 June. Usual term is 12 days.
There are about 15,000 registered refugees in Kyrgyzstan now, majority of the
are from Tajikistan.
8. Official from the Manas Center in Bishkek told our correspondent on 7 June
that a special conference, devoted to the 100th anniversary of the prominent
Kazakh writer and poet, Mukhtar Auezov, will be held in Bishkek on 13 June.
Another big celebration will be held in Almaty, Kazakh capital, on 17 June.
Auezov was born on 28 September 1897 and died in Moscow on 27 June, 1991.
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KYRGYZ NEWS - 9 JUNE 1997
1. About 30 people picketted the government building today and a new protest
fast began in Bishkek this morning. 11 residents of Bishkek city began a
hunger strike outside of the government building, on the central square (at
08:00, local time) in protest of the last trials in Bishkek against
independent journalists. They demanded to release Zamira Sydykova and
Aleksandr Alyanchikov (being in detention since 23 May) and Yrysbek Omurzakov
(arrested on 24 March).
Our correspondent has made a list of protestors and made short inteviews with
some of them. They are:
1. Siezgul Tynalieva, 36, school teacher,
2. Akmatbek Mamatov, 24,
3. Damira Turdubayeva, 36, employee of the Tax agency,
4. Atbalar Turusbekov, 35,
5. Arstanbek Ramazanov, 50,
6. Bubusaira Ajymudinova, 25,
7. Chynybek Aitkulov, 52, member of the Patriotic movement,
8. Salia Umarova, 20,
9. Erkinbek Yrysbolov, 22,
10. Dinara Torobayeva, 20,
11. Mirlan Nogoibayev, 25.
None of them took part in the protest fast, held for the reasons on the
central square on 2-5 June. Sydykova and Alayanchikov were sentenced by
district court to 18 months of imprisonment on 23 May. Trial against Omurzakov
began on 19 May and was halted on 21 May after the court failed to prove his
guilty. Two other journalists (Marina Sivasheva and Bektash Shamshiev) were
barred on 23 May from engaging in journalism for 18 months. All of them were
accused of insulting managers of the state enterprises.
Municipal court of Bishkek set to consider the cases tomorrow, on 10 June, and
new picket expected to be held outside of its building tomorrow. Participants
of the protest fast say they will stay on the central square during the night
and will move to the municipal court's building tomorrow morning.
2. President press service announced today that President Askar Akayev signed
a special decree on 7 June. According to it, Kyrgyz pensioners (had retired
before 1 June 1997), members of the World War Two, disabled people and poorest
families will receive the 8% of shares of the big state enterprises.
According to Aidar Abdyshev, deputy department head of the President
administration (who held a special briefing on it in Bishkek today), state
energetics company Kyrgyzenergo; state oil company Kyrgyzmunaizat;
Kyrgyztelecom; state air company Kyrgyz Aba Joldoru; state publishing houses
Uchkun and Akyl; Kadamjai antimony plant; Kara-Balta mining coplex will be
involved in the action and about 1,200,000 people will receive their shares.
3. Iranian embassy in Bishkek announced today that Iranian foreign minister,
Ali Akbar Velayati, will meet in Bishkek with President Askar Akayev and
Foreign minister, Roza Otunbayeva on 10 June. Cooperation between Iran and
Kyrgyzstan will be discussed. Also, Velayaty will invite Akayev to the summit
of leaders of Islamic states, to be held in Teheran in December. Embassy
announced on the visit on Friday, 6 June.
4. Speaker of the People's Assembly of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Almambet
Matubraimov, is taking part in the joint meeting of the Inter-Paliamentarian
Assembly of the CIS and the Europe Council's Parliamentary Assembly in
St.Petersburg today. He will return to Bishkek later today and will chair the
session of the People's Assembly tomorrow, on 11 June.
5. Finance minister, Taalaibek Koichumanov, announced in Bishkek today that
Kyrgyzstan had received $18,545,000-loan from the Asian Bank of
Reconstructions and Developements. According to the minister, it is the first
finance support, given to Kyrgyzstan in last 5 months.
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KYRGYZ NEWS - 10 JUNE 1997
1. Municipal court of Bishkek considered the two cases on journalists today,
changing the verdicts, taken by district courts before, and some detained
journalists were released. Session was chaired by Jakyp Abdrakmanov, chairman
of the municipal court.
- Zamira Sydykova, chief editor of the Res Publica weekly, is sentenced to 18
months colony serving (not to 12 months, as I wrote in the morning).
- Aleksandr Alyanchikov, former correspondent of the Res Publica, is sentenced
to 18-month suspended imprisonment (not to 12 months, as I wrote before).
- Bektash Shamshiev (editor) and Marina Sivasheva (former editor) of the Res
Publica, are acquitted.
- Yrysbek Omurzakov has been released from custody until the decision of the
district court.
Sydykova and Alyanchikov were sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment and
Shamshiev and Sivasheva were barred from engaging in journalism for 18 months
by district court in Bishkek on 23 May. They were accused of insulting and
libeling president of the State gold concern in 4 articles, published in
1993-1996. Omurzakov was accused of insulting and libeling factory director in
Bishkek and was arrested on 24 March. Trial against him began in district
court in Bishkek on 19 May and was halted on 21 May. The case was sent for
re-investigation.
Protest hunger strike, begun yesterday outside of the government building in
Bishkek, was continued even after the decision of the municipal court. 11
people took part in it (two of them were suggested by doctors to stop hunger
strike today and were replaced by two other people voluntarily). They demanded
to acquit all convicted journalists. About 100 people picketted the building
of the municipal court during the session today. When the court session ended
they moved to central square and continued the action there.
But Tursunbek Akunov, chairman of the Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan,
told our correspondent later that they decided to stop protest fast. Lawyers
of Sydykova and Alyanchikov will appeal to the Supreme Court and, according to
Akunov, they will wait the session of the Supreme Court. Hunger strike ended
at 16:30, local time, today.
2. Legislative Assembly of the Parliament passed the new Criminal code in the
second reading today, Parliament press service announced It will be in effect
beginning with 1 Januray, 1998.
3. Session of the People's Assembly (another house of the Parliament) began in
Bishkek today. It will consider 7 questions till the end of June. One of the
important questions is a privatization of some main state companies. Several
deputies said at the session today that the established prices were too low.
Government had suggested to sell:
- Kyrgyzenergo (state energrtics company) for
7,700,900,000 som (about $450 million).
- Kyrgyztelecom (state telecommunication company)
for 573 million som (about $30 million).
- Kyrgyz Aba Joldoru (state air company) for
983 million som (about $55 million).
- Kyrgyzmunaizat (state oil company) for
308 million som (about $20 million).
Deputies demanded to revise the case and not to sell the working companies for
next to nothing. Discussion will be continued tomorrow.
4. Iranian foreign minister, Ali Akbar Velayati will arrive to Bishkek later
today and will stay in Bishkek till 12 June, Foreign ministry press service
announced. He will meet with President Askar Akayev, Prime minister Apas
Joumagulov, other high officials.
5. British embassy to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan celebrates today the 71th
birthday of the British Queen. Ambassador, Douglas McAdams, together with his
spouse, visited children hospital, house for the aged people in Bishkek and
gave aid to them.
6. Russian embassy in Bishkek celebrates today the 5th anniversary of the
friendship and cooperation agreement between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, signed on
10 June, 1992. Ambassador, Georgy Rudov, made a statement in Bishkek today.
According to Rudov, Kyrgyzstan is "in the prior field" of the Russian foreign
policy.
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THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE MUSLIM REPUBLICS OF THE RUSSIA
.................. Part Two - (For Part One see Turkistan-N4)
...................By Zulfiye Kadir
The North Caucasus
Like the Muslims of the Volga-Ural region the Caucasian peoples were
interested in the formation of independent republic.In May 1917 the First
North Caucasian Congress set up the Central Committee of the Union of the
North Caucasus and Dagestan. Full authority in the regions was assumed by
the Central Committee of the Union of the Mountain People and exercised
through local Chechen, Ingush, Balkar and other councils. At the Third
North Caucasian Congress which was held on September 1917, it was decided
that the future of the North Caucasus could only be assured by separation
from Russia and proclamation of national independence.On May 1918 the
independent North Caucasian Republic was proclaimed. During the brief
period of the United Mountain Republic, the Caucasian peoples were ruled
by a single unified government for the first time.
During the period of the establishment of the Soviet regime the North
Caucasus became a ferocious battle field among major forces: the
Bolsheviks, the Caucasian nationalists, the White Army of Denikin together
with Cossaks and the Muslim religious groupings.
General Denikin leading the Volunteer Army in South Russia was fighting
for a united, undivided Russia and was strongly hostile to anti-Russian
nationalist movements. Bitter fighting took place between Denikin^Òs army
and the local nationalists and civilian population.
In the light of these developments, the Muslim sheihs and Socialists
intelligentsia made crucial tactical mistake by joining the Bolsheviks in a
struggle for the liberation of their homelands. The Red Army was greeted as
an ally by the local peoples who had been engaged in war for their
freedom.Once again the national intelligentsia of the Caucasus was
attracted by the national program of the Bolsheviks, which promised the
right of all nations of the former Russian Empire to "self-determination,
including secession".In his famous speech addressed to the North Caucasian
peoples and concerned autonomy, Stalin stated:
The whole purpose of autonomy is to involve the mountain people in the
governing of their country...It is essential that your people are drawn
into all spheres of administration of the country.The sort of autonomy we
are talking here is that under which your people, knowing your language,
your way of life, are present in all administrative organs.
At first in place of a single North Caucasus Republic, two republic were
created: On January 1919 the Mountain (Gorskaya) ASSR (which embraced six
peoples), and in November of the same year the Dagestan ASSR.
The Mountain Republic comprised Chechnia, Ingushetia, Ossetia, Kabarda,
Balkaria and Karachay. The creation of the Mountain Republic was met with
great enthusiasm and optimism of all the nations represented within it.
The Declaration of the Constituent Assembly of the Soviets of the
Mountain Republic adopted on 22 April 1921, stated that "all the peoples of
the Mountain ASSR are independent and free to decide the means of
development and creation of national culture." The Shariat and the adat
were officially acknowledged as the basic constitutional laws of the
Mountain Republic. Although Stalin himself stated that "the Soviet
Government considers the shariat to be as rightful and customary a law as
any in force among other people of the USSR" , this was a very unusual
attitude for the Soviet system of government.
In order to break up the unity of the Caucasian peoples, the Soviets
granted pseudo-autonomies to almost every Caucasian nationality.Gradually
autonomous regions were created out of the sub-divided Soviet Mountain
Republic. Karachay-Cherkess (12 January 1922), Kabartay-Balkar ( 16 January
1922 ), Adygey ( 27 July 1922 ), Chechen (20 November 1922).
By the Decree of 7 July 1924, the remnants of the Soviet Mountain
republic were finally disbanded and in its place two autonomous regions,
North Ossetia and Ingushetia came into being. All these autonomous
republics together with Dagestan, became a part of the RSFSR, and were
subordinated directly to the central government of the RSFSR.
The political and administrative reordering made by the Soviet authorities
did not fulfill the expectations of the North Caucasian communists. The
nationality question in the multinational Caucasus was resolved "at one
stroke" without taking into consideration historical past and tribal
interests of the peoples living here. The Soviets forcibly resettled
different ethnic groups distorting the ethnic balance in many regions. The
demarcations of the frontiers in the North Caucasus were made without
adequate attention to the ethnic and linguistic peculiarities. To keep this
turbulent region weak the notorious divide and rule strategy was applied
on large scale. This policy put disparate peoples together and divided
closely related tribes.
Thus, the Kabartay-Balkar Republic was designed to incorporate two
unrelated nationalities: the Kabardinians, the indigenous mountain people
and make up 48 per cent of the population, and the Turkic speaking Balkars,
who make up 9 per cent. These peoples are very distinct from each other in
cultural and historical terms. Karachay and Balkars, two peoples having
virtually the same language and traditions, were separated without any
pretext.
The situation was similar in the Karachay-Cherkes republic, where the
Turkic-speaking Karachay (a kindred people to the Balkars) and the Cherkes
(a kinfolk of the Kabartay people), were forcibly brought together into one
the republic.
As everywhere else, the Bolsheviks socialized the North Caucasus lands by
dubious and crude methods, depriving the local communities almost of
everything. Together with the Chechens and Ingushs, Karachays, Balkars,
Kalmyks, Crimean Tatars and Germans were deported. The Decree of the
Council of Ministers of the USSR of 24 November 1948 states: " the
resettlement of the Chechens, Ingushs, Karachais, Balkars, Kalmyks,
Germans, Crimean Tatars and others to the different regions of the Soviet
Union, has been done ones and for all, without any right to return to the
former places of settlement.
The outcome of all these developments is that the North Caucasus turned to
be a potential arena for conflict. Today every republic of the North
Caucasus has its own range of problems that could burst out into violent
conflict. One such region is Dagestan. Dagestan, a heavily Muslim region,
has a strategically important position in the North Caucasus on the shores
of the Caspian Sea. Taking into account a high level of religiosity and
conservatism of the local peoples, the Bolsheviks applied a more cautious
policy to Dagestan. In his speech at the Congress of the Peoples of
Dagestan on November 13, 1920, in Temir-Khanshura (Buynaksk), Stalin
declared that "Dagestan must be governed in accordance with its national
peculiarities and customs." Actually, there was a certain degree of truth
in Stalin's words. Dagestan has been always ruled according to its own
unwritten, unseen customary law of adat. The Dagestanis treated communism
with a healthy skepticism, viewing it as a continuation of Tsarist
expansionism, and adapting it to the needs of the republic as before.
Without these "concessions" this conservative, but at the same time,
explosive and incendiary region would hardly adapt to Communist rule. The
leader of the Kumyk national movement Tenglik said: "In our society from
the communist times the upper hand to decide, judge and combine
administrative functions with the traditions of the cemaat, always
belonged to the administrative authorities".
The internal situation of Dagestan , is more complicated than that of any
other republics. Today there are more than thirty different nationalities
living in Dagestan, but the Dagestanis are not consolidated into one
nation. The communist authorities of Daghestan simply mixed all the
population of the republic, but no one people in Dagestan has officially
defined political status.Therefore, the "nationality question" potentially
is more explosive in Dagestan.
As everywhere else, the administrative system of this region was designed
according to the crude territorial principle. Dagestan has a unique natural
landscape: from one side the mountains of the Caucasus, from another side
the valleys of the Caspian lowlands. The Republic of Dagestan was created
on the place of the old Dagestan oblast, without taking into account
interests of many peoples living on this territory. In 1922 year, it was
decided to resettle indigenous Mountain peoples to the valeys. The process
of the forced resettlement of the Mountaineers to the plains continued up
to 1990. This forced resettlement of some peoples of Dagestan created the
so-called prikutanniye zemli, appropriated lands, as land in the plains was
distributed to the highlanders. The migration from the highlands of Avar
and Dargin farmers provided numerical predominance of the outside
settlers over the native population of the valleys. As a result the
percentage of the indigenous people of the valley dramatically decreased.
Thus the Kumyk people, once the only native dwellers of the lowlands,
consisting 60% in 1926, today became aminority of 23.9% on their own
territory.. Another typical fact for Dagestan is a phenomenon of
divided nation, like Lezgins, Avars and Nogays. The state frontier between
Russia and Azerbaijan on the river Samur has placed half a million
Dagestani Lezgins and Avars on the Azeri side. After the collapse of the
Soviet Union these peoples find themselves on the different sides of
national borders. Thus a part of the Lezgins now live in Dagestan, while
another part live in Azerbaijan. The Lezgins of Dagestan founded a Sadval
movement to press for border changes that would allow them to unite with
the Lezgins of Azerbaijan. Today a border dispute is strained. Azeri
officials has accused the Lezgin national movement Sadval of causing
explosions in the Baku metro and 120 leaders of Lezgin and Avar national
organizations have been banned from Azerbaijan.
For the time being, compared to other regions, Dagestan has remained a
relatively loyal corner of Russia. But this does not mean that Dagestan is
an exemplary Muslim republic. Economically, Dagestan is one of the poorest
republics of the Russian Federation. The life expectancy here is lower than
in other regions of the Caucasus. Politically it is the most heterogeneous
republic, exhausted by numerous internal problems among various cliques,
clans, and tribal organizations.
According to many observers Dagestan is a comparative oasis of ethnic
stability. But in reality, with hundreds of peoples, nations, tribes,
cliques and clans, today^Òs Dagestan resembles a Pandora's box. The
ethnic communities in Dagestan jealously keep an eye on each other, and the
nationality of any public appointee is always noted. The system of ethnic
quotas permeated all spheres of life. Feudal ways, social contrast, hidden
dictatorship and discrimination among the different nationalities are
evident. Everything is decided and ordered "sverhu", or from the top.
According to Magomedhan Magomethanov, a senior researcher in the Dagestan
Institute of History, "The Local Dagestani leadership is making the
socio-political situation worse.It includes many people who are the
products of the communist regime, who beyond Moscow^Òs control turned their
positions into a gravy train. It is openly said that posts are bought and
many are filled by unknown bandits. Young people, without the means to
support themselves, are turning to crime and joining armed gangs that
operate inside the republic and in other parts of Russia".
It is true that the peoples of Dagestan have been exhausted by the
seventy-years obligatory friendship and false fraternity. Practically, the
nationality question of Dagestan is obviously difficult to resolve.One of
the leaders of the Kumyk popular front Tenglik stated "Today the
nationality policy of the Dagestan must have multilateral character, taking
into account the fact that there are nations willing to develop according
to self-determination principles an in their own way, but not as a part
of the hypothetical, one and indivisible Dagestani people."
This forcible unification of the peoples into a single republic did not,
however eliminate the urge to gain autonomy. After the collapse of the
Soviet Union almost every individual nationality in Dagestan has formed
popular front movements and separate organizations to defend their rights
and put an end to the double standard treatment within their own republic.
The Kumyk national movement Tenglik put forward the principle of the
federalization of the Dagestan by creation of autonomous
national-territorial units. Together with the Kumyks many other
nationalities of Dagestan demand federative restructuring of the republic
where every ethnos would have its own territorial autonomy. Some of the
Lezgin leaders work on the project of national-cultural autonomy of the
Lezgin people both in Azerbaijan and Dagestan. It seems that in the future
in Dagestan two peoples: on the South the Lezgins and on the North the
Kumyks, will play an important role.
Despite the corruption, political nihilism, and stagnation in the society,
the role of Islam in Dagestan is much stronger than in many of the other
Muslim republics of Russia. The strong right-wing clerical organizations,
such as the Naqshbandi Brotherhood of Uzun Hadji still have a strong
influence on the course of events in Daghestan.
Like Dagestan, the Kabartay-Balkar republic contains all the elements of
the ethnic conflict. Just recently on November 1996, the Balkar people made
a desperate attempt to free itself from the dominating rule of the
Kabardinians. In November 1996 the National Council of the Balkar People
held a Congress where the independence of the Balkar people and
secession from the Kabartay-Balkar Republic was proclaimed. Under the
chairmanship of the general Bekbov, the Congress leaders, in order to
escape from the dictatorship of the Kabartay president Kokov, appealed to
Yeltsin to submit the new republic to the Russian presidential rule. The
Russian authorities refused to recognize this self-proclaimed republic,
and soon after all the members of the Balkar National Council and
participants of the Congress were arrested. The Balkar National Council
was prohibited by law. Later General Bekbov was forced to recant and make
a public statement of rejection of all the decisions of the Congress. Once
again, Kabartay President Kokov was left with absolute power and authority.
Nevertheless, a sense of unease and discontent within the republic
remains, which could soon manifest itself again.
There is also scope for conflict in the Karachay-Cherkes Republic. In the
Karachay-Cherkes Republic the Russians constitute 42.5 per cent. Kararchay
31 per cent and Cherkes only 9.6 per cent. Like many other nationalities
in the Caucasus, these three nationalities were brought together against
their will. As a natural phenomenon, the Karachai began to ask for a
division of the autonomous republic on an administrative basis.The
Cherkess reacted to the Karachai demands by forming their own movement,
which opposed Karachai demands for separation. Frightened by the rise of
the nationalistic sentiments, the Cossaks also began to organize. The
partocrat establishment in the republic resisted all these manifestations,
and for now open conflict has been avoided.
The Ingush-Osset clash is one of the conflicts, that has deteriorated into
a war.After the deportation in of the Ingush 1944, the Prigorodniy district
of the Chechen-Ingush republics was annexed to the North Osset ASSR.When
the Ingush were allowed to return, they found their homes and lands in the
Prigorodniy district occupied by the Ossets.The North Ossetian authorities
refused, however, to return the district under the jurisdiction of the
Chechen-Ingush republic. After the proclamation of the autonomous Ingush
republic, centered on the Prigorodniy district the conflict became more
fierce.The Ingush intensified their activities, and in 1992 this conflict
resulted in a full-scale war with the involvement of troops from Russia,
North Ossetia, and the Ingush republic. Chechen volunteers were also
involved in the conflict on the side of the Ingush.
One thing can be said in summation of the current situation in the
Caucasus: at the moment almost all of the Caucasus nations are too busy
with their own administrative, economic and political problems to work on
supranational issues. Today the Caucasus peoples live dispersed in their
national republics, in most cases assotiating themselves with citizenship
of their republic, rather than with the supranational notion of being
Caucasian Mountaineers (Gortsy).
After the general euphoria of 1990's, by the end of 1994, in many
republics the characteristics of the totalitarian old regime began to
reemerge, and national republics fell under the authority of reactionary
governments. In many Caucasus republics, with exception of the Chechnya and
Ingush republics, the moderate, conservative regimes reinforced their
positions. The common features of these regimes are a conservative
outlook, oligarchic politics and status quo policies. Instead of promoting
pan-Caucasian unity, so necessary for this turbulent region, the official
leadership persistently abstain from any kind of cooperation that can
endanger their power positions.
Under these circumstances, unity is vitally necessary for the Caucasus
and other Muslim regions of the Russian Federation. Despite the common
tragedies and shared historical and political destiny, for the time being
no strong united movement and democratic political parties have emerged.
There are expressions of empathy and compassion towards Chechnya but,
unfortunately, there is no real unity among the North Caucasian peoples,
which are driven by nationalist conflicts and local political rivalries.
There are many local-scale popular front movements being established to
defend the ethno-cultural values of certain nations, but none of the
Caucasus peoples, except for Chechnia and Abkhazia, have expressed any
desire for full political independence.
Despite these post-Soviet realities in the North Caucasus, and other
Muslim republics, there is one reality that seems to be unchanged. The
North Caucasus was defeated but undaunted. This fact came to the surface
with Chechnya^Òs proclamation of independence. Since the republic Ichkeriya
is an independent state, the detailed account about the political situation
in this republic is beyond the scope of this paper.
Today the Chechen republic is adapting to the new post-war reality.
Whatever the outcome of the present crisis, independence is certainly the
ultimate dream of the Chechens. The ultimate secession of the Chechenya
would encourage other republics to opt for independence. Chechen war ended,
opening a new, unknown phase in the Russo-Muslim relation.
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Date: Mon, 09 Jun 1997 23:31:57 -0200
Dunya Abaza Kongresi Avrupa Temsilciligi tarafindan duzenlenen bilgilendirme
toplantisina katilan Kuzey Kafkasya Heyeti, bolgedeki siyasi ve kulturel
gelismelere isik tuttu. Stuttgartta duzenlenen ve Kafkas kokenli Cerkez,
Abaza, Kabartay, Sapsig, Karacay ve Dagistan kokenli Turk vatandaslarinin
katildigi toplantida Kuzey Kafkasyada savasin sona ermesine ragmen barisin
halen tehlikede oldugu aciklandi. Toplantida Dunya Kafkas Cerkez Kongresi
Baskani Prof. Dr. Boris Akbas ve Dunya Abaza Kongresi Baskani Prof. Dr.
Taras Sanba birer konusma yapti. Ilk kez yurtdisina cikma sansi bulduklarini
ve bolgenin bagimsizligi icin her turlu mucadeleyi vermeye hazir olduklarini
soyleyen heyet onumuzdeki Agustos ayinda Kuzey Kafkasyadaki cumhuriyetlerin
birlesmesi konusunda bir kongre yapacaklarini belirtiler. Karacayda
duzenlenecek kongrede birlesme sartlarinin gorusulecegini ifade ettiler.
Kafkasyanin savas kahramani Seyh Samilin 200. dogum yildonumu kutlamalarini
Avrupada yasayan hemserileriyle birlikte kutlamak ve dede vatanlariyla olan
baglarin surdurmelerini saglamak uzere Almanya ve Avrupanin cesitli
sehirlerinde toplantilar yapan heyet daha sonra Moskovaya dondu.
*************************************
The Izmir Young Businessmen Association made a trip to Kazakstan. Aim of the
trip is to investigate the economic potential of the turkish republics in
Central Asia and to find new cooperation possibilities. The group which flew
to Almaty on June 08 for a six day visit choosed Kazakistan as a gate for
their activities in Central Asia. The President of the Association Mehmet
Aydogan said that they intend to increase their market share in Kazakstan.
The sixty members of the group will also meet Kazak President Nursultan
Nazarbaev.
*************************************
BUSINESS
Anadolu Endustri holding, the owner of the beer brand mark Efes Pilsen is
going to build breweries in Moscow and near Bucharest. In Romania beer will
be temporarily produced in a rented site, as it is done in Kazakstan. The
two new breweries will have a capacity of 7,5 mln hectoliters.
The holding bought a 33 percent share of Coca Cola Turkey last year. Coca
Cola Turkey grew at a rate of 45 percent as botteling began in Kazakstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Rostov for the local market. These activities are
coordinated by the branch in Turkey.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 01:30:09 -0400
JUNE 9, 1997
GREECE, ARMENIA AND IRAN DENY SUPPORT FOR PKK TERRORISM
Greece, Armenia and Iran have denied Turkish claims that they were
supporting the terrorist PKK organization. In a statement on Friday,
Secretary General of the General Staff Major-General Erol Ozkasnak
accused Iran, Syria, Armenia, Greece and Cyprus of providing
sophisticated weapons to PKK terrorists and noted that anti-craft
missiles supplied by these countries were used by the organization to
shoot down two army helicopters in Northern Iraq.
However, Iran is exerting efforts to undermine the success of the
operation. Turkey had massed troops in the Hakurk region to sweep out
PKK terrorists seeking refuge there, a move playing a primary role in
the 100 percent success of the operation. Nevertheless, Iran urged
Turkey to withdraw its troops from Hakurk, threatening to send
soldiers to the region or to incite rival Kurdish groups in the region
to fight against the Turkish army. /Cumhuriyet/
RUSSIAN GAS TO ISRAEL VIA TURKEY
Israel announced that the best way to transport Russian natural gas to
Israel would be through a pipeline via Turkey and under the
Mediterranean Sea, the Anatolia news agency reported on Friday. Ariel
Saron, the Israeli minister for infrastructure, said, during talks
with Russian officials in Moscow, that the agreement for natural gas
would be signed within the year.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><>
Mark Hubey ---------------------------------------------------------
http://www.csam.montclair.edu/Faculty/Hubey.html
hubey@pegasus.montclair.edu hubeyh@alpha.montclair.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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