Circassians asks Ukraine to recognize the Circassian Genocide



His Excellency Mr. Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine;

the Honourable Mr. Oleksandr Turchynov, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;

His Excellency Mr. Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the Prime of Ukraine


Subject of Appeal : A Request for Recognizing the Circassian Genocide committed by the Tsarist Russian Empire


In 18th and 19th centuries, genocide against the Circassian people had taken place where significant majority of Circassians were exterminated by the Russian Empire to take over our country, the Circassian homeland. The ones who survived were forced to leave their homeland and were deported and exiled as a whole, and as the Russian Empire planned, hundreds of thousands of people died during the exile process. Russian Empire needed “the land that belonged to Circassians, not the Circassians themselves”. 

Exile continued also after 1864 with different excuses and different disguises, all kinds of pressure was implemented to make a handful of Circassians left behind by some means to leave their homeland as well. Relevant documents are in the archives besides published documents by eyewitnesses  in propria persona. 

Today, only one tenth of the Circassian population, around 700,000 people; is living in a piece of land that can be delineated as a small piece of historical Circassia, scattered and divided around. Circassian People, although they are one nation, have been condemned by the Soviet administration and by its successor, the administration of the Russian Federation, to live disconnected from each other, in different political enclaves, with different names as if they are different nationalities and isolated from each other. .

At the present time, and due to the Circassian Genocide and Exile, 90% of the Circassian population has been forced to live outside of their homeland, scattered in more than fifty countries around the world. “Indigenous population’s right to be in contact with its own country” as a basic human right for Circassians in exile is restricted almost as much as nonexistence.  The Russian Federation refuses to allow Circassians in exile to return to their Circassian homeland even if it is for urgent humanitarian purposes.   The Request of Circassians in Syria who are caught in the fire of the civil unrest between the two sides in ongoing intestine war and still going through all the pains of the conflict to return back to their own homeland due to risk of death is not even taken into consideration by the Russian Federation. 

Besides, activists who expressed their thoughts about the “Circassian Problem” through totally democratic, legal and peaceful ways and means have been detained, harassed and have been put under pressure by open and undercover threats. This situation in issue is still continuing in different forms.

Russian Federation’s units, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Parliament on its 7, February, 1992 dated and (№977–XII-B) numbered decision and the Adygea Republic Parliament’s 29, April, 1996 dated and 64-1 numbered decision, have both recognized the Genocide committed against the Circassians, which took place during the Russian-Circassian War that lasted for 101 years and they have condemned it. And they requested from the Russian Federation to recognize the Circassian Genocide. 

Georgia, on 20 M, 2011, with the decision it reached in its parliament upon the request of the Circassian People, was the first  country as member of the United Nations to recognize Circassian Genocide.

According to that decision reached by the Georgian Parliament, the Russian Empire, during the war that took place between 1763-1864 years, had also performed Ethnic Cleansing against the Circassians and were replaced by other ethnic group (Russian population) on the homeland of Circassians by means of state policy.   By embarking into military activities aiming to punish the civilians, it completely annihilated a huge part of the Circassian population according to independent observers. Artificial famine was created and infectious diseases were spread amongst the civil population.

The Georgian Parliament, in accordance with the 18 October 1907 dated IV numbered Hague Agreement and 1948 dated Prevention and Punishment of Genocide Crime Agreement, announced that the actions committed against Circassians were genocide. 

The Circassian Problem is a problem that had occurred as a result of the Circassian Genocide and Exile, and the country that is obligated to solve this problem is the Russian Federation. It became obvious that the Russian Federation, acting with the same arguments as the Russian Empire about the Circassian Problem even in the 21st century, is acting in the same manner in all subjects with its occupation of Crimea which is a land located within the territorial integrity of Ukraine and by groundlessly pleading suppression towards Russian speakers living in Eastern Ukraine, in reality, aiming to occupy the whole Ukraine. An old world practice “land-conquest growing by occupation” thought to be an old world way of thinking has been moved to the modern world by the Russian Federation, with furthermore leaving the whole world in astonishment. 

We, the Circassian People, don’t believe that there is any difference between the Russian Empire occupation of our homeland in 1864, and the Russian Federation occupation of parts of Ukraine.  With the occupation of our country by the Russian Empire, therefore, we support the Government of Ukraine and the Ukrainians in their righteous struggle. Solidarity with the Ukrainian Government and its people has upmost importance for the Circassian People. 

For the foregoing reasons we indicated, we request from your dignitaries for Ukraine to recognize Circassian Genocide.

We, the undersigned, have respectfully submitted this appeal.

Signatories:

1- HAPI CEVDET YILDIZ- BANDIRMA/TURKEY, Historian, Researcher, Author of Cherkessia.net website.

2- MAHMUT BI-BURSA/TURKEY, Historian, Researcher-, Author of Cherkessia.net website.

3- KHUADE ADNAN- MAYKOP/RUSSIAN FEDERATION, Tradesman, Representative to Patriots of Circassia in Circassia.

4- ADEL BASHQAWI -JORDAN, Circassian Activist, the Circassian Diaspora.

5- IYAD YOUGHAR-USA, the President of the International Circassian Council.

6- ACUMIJ HILMI OZEN- MAYKOP/RUSSIAN FEDERATION, Author of Cherkessia.net website.

7- KUBE NURHAN FIDAN - ISTANBUL/TURKEY, author of Cherkessia.net website, Correspondent Spokesman to Patriots of Circassia.

8- SHALAXHO RAGIP METE - SAKARYA/TURKEY, Teacher, Correspondent Spokesman to Patriots of Circassia.

9- HABRACHO MURAT ÖZDEN- ISTANBUL/TURKEY, President of Maltepe Circassian Association.   

10- DJANCHATE AYKUT SAHIN- COLOGNE/GERMANY, President of Köln Adige Xase.

11- HUST SEMIH AKGUN – ISTANBUL/TURKEY, Author of Cherkessia.net website, Activist.

12- Ph.D. OMER AYTEK KURMEL -ISTANBUL/TURKEY, Researcher – Author of Cherkessia.net website.

13- ZOHER THAWCHO -ISRAEL/KFAR KAMA, The Circassian Heritage Center.

14- Ph.D. KARDEN MURAT YILDIRIM – ISTANBUL/TURKEY, Attorney at Law, Correspondent Spokesman to Patriots of Circassia.

15- JADE WUMAR DENIZ - SAKARYA/TURKEY, Editor of Cherkessia.net website.

16- CUSHA WUMAR- IZMIR/TURKEY, Philologist, Author of Cherkessia.net website.

17- BALKAR SELCUK- VAN/TURKEY, Academic – Author.

18- GINA HABOUKH-USA, a Circassian Activist, the Circassian Diaspora.

19- HATKO EROL ANAR- BRASIL, Novelist, Author of Cherkessia.net website.

20- TSEY Esref BAS-TURKEY/SINOP, Sculptor, Painter.

21- THATL SACIT TUNC- ISTANBUL/TURKEY, Maltepe Circassian Association,  Member of the Board of Directors.

22- ZACK BARSIK- USA Circassian Activist, Circassian Diaspora.

23- HATX YALCIN KARABULUT- ISTANBUL/TURKEY, Maltepe Circassian Association, Member of the Board of Directors.

24- SHOGEN FARUK ARSLANDOK-ISTANBUL/TURKEY, Banker.

25- HAXHU KOCHAS-ISRAEL, President of Free Circassians. 

26- SEWLOK ERDINC UNSALAN- KAHRAMANMARAS/TURKEY, Author of Cherkessia.net website.

27- THAGUSE EMRE AKCAN – SAKARYA/TURKEY, Patriots of Circassia, Activist.

28- KALEKUTE ENVER SAGLAM - ISTANBUL/TURKEY, Author,  Adige Khase- Circassian Association, Member of the Board of Directors.

29- MIQOD NAHIDE DEMIR AYBAT – KONYA/TURKEY, President of Konya Circassian Association.

30- SHAZZO ASLAN – MAYKOP/RUSSIAN FEDERATION, Journalist, Natpress.info Chief Editor.

31- TSEY YILMAZ DONMEZ- AMASYA/TURKEY, Vice President of Adygea Language Association.

32- HAKASHE ERKAN BATIR-KAYSERI/TURKEY, Lawyer, Author of Gusips.net.

33- RADIO ADIGA-KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL, the Circassian Diaspora.

34- JUSTICE FOR NORTH CAUCASUS GROUP