NEW FILING WITH ESTONIA TO RECOGNIZE THE CIRCASSIAN GENOCIDE
Circassian activists throughout the world have filed a new application with Estonai, on 08.05.2015 to recognize the Circassian Genocide committed by Russian Empire. Application was submitted to Toomas Hendrik ILVES, Eiki NESTOR and Taavi RÕİVAS who are President of Estonia, President of the Estonian Parliament “Riigikogu”and Prime Minister of Estonia respectively.
Application to Estonia is a sequential application after
Ukraine (http://cherkessia.net/bakisacimiz.php?id=3371),
Poland (http://cherkessia.net/bakisacimiz.php?id=3376) and
Lithuania (http://cherkessia.net/bakisacimiz.php?id=3386) submissions.
It is expected that increasing Circassian activists accross the world are going to file new submissons to recognize.
His Excellency, President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik ILVES
His Excellency, President of the Estonia Parliament “Riigikogu”, Eiki NESTOR
His Excellency, Prime Minister, Taavi RÕİVAS
In Re: A Request for Recognizing the Circassian Genocide committed by the Tsarist Russian Empire
In 18th and 19th centuries, genocide against the Circassian (Adygean) people had taken place where significant majority of Circassians were exterminated by the Russian Empire to take over our country, the Circassian (Adygean) 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. According to a motto belonged to Russian generals and Russian authorities, the Russian Empire needed “the land that belonged to the 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 in addition to published documents by eyewitnesses in propria persona.
Today, only one tenth of the Circassian (Adygean) 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 and administrative 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 on through all the pains of the conflict to return 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 of the issue is still continuing in different forms.
The decisions of The Russian Federation’s units, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Parliament dated 7, February, 1992 and numbered (№977–XII-B), and the Republic of Adygea Parliament dated 29, April, 1996 and numbered 64-1, 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. They also requested from the Russian Federation to recognize the Circassian Genocide.
Georgia, on 20, May, 2011, with the decision reached in its parliament upon the request of the Circassian People, was the first country as a member of the United Nations to recognize the 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 Circassian (Adygean) homeland 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 civilian population.
The Georgian Parliament, in accordance with the Hague Agreement number IV, dated 18, October, 1907, and Prevention and Punishment of Genocide Crime Agreement, dated 1948, announced that the acts committed against Circassians were genocide.
The Circassian (Adygean) civil rights defenders and activists from around the world have applied to the Government of Ukraine on 21/06/2014 to recognize the Circassian Genocide. The Ukrainian Government responded to this application whereupon His Excellency, the President of Ukrainian, Mr. Petro Poroshenko, has instructed the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate the issue. In their brief reply dated 07/07/2014, the representatives of the Ministry expressed the Mr. Poroshenko’s instructions and stated that Congressman Oleg Lyashko has submitted to the Supreme Rada of Ukraine the legislative Proposal No. 4203 for “discussing and recognizing the Circassian Genocide”. The purpose of the proposal is stated to be “initiating a political and legal process regarding recognition of the genocide of the Circassian (Adygean) nation caused by the colonial policy of the Russian Empire between 1763 and 1864, and supporting the process by scientific and historical data”. Said legislative proposal has been renewed with Proposal number 2140, dated 13.02.2015 by MP Mr. Dmytro Volodimirovich in the new legislation session of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. It is being proceeded before the Committees on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations.
The administrative units Wayne, Prospect Park and Haledon of New Jersey, USA have recognized the Circassian Genocide on May, 21, 2014, July, 19, 2014 and July, 17, 2014, respectively on concrete grounds.
Another application has been presented on 11.11.2014 to Poland to recognize the Circassian Genocide by Circassian (Adygean) civil rights defenders and activists throughout the world.
The latest submission was sent to Lithuania on 11.03.2015 so as to recognize the Circassian Genocide. Upon said application, a response dated 30.03.2015, was sent by the Office of President of the Republic of Lithuania, Mrs. Dalia Grybauskaitė, which indicated that the application was received and transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since said ministry is responsible for the mentioned issue. In this context, a reply was sent by the Office of Prime Minister Mr. Algirdas Butkevičius, it was highlighted that application was transferred to Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius in propria persona.
The Circassian Question 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 the 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 and right after by open threatening towards Poland and Eastern Europe. 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.
At this point, as Estonia was the first state to restore its “sovereignty” in 1988 from the Soviet Union, it is an important country for Circassians. The destinies of Circassians and Estonians are intersected at their freedom aspirations. From 1987 to 1991, Estonians defiantly sang national songs forbidden by the Soviet authorities which are called as “Singing Revolution”.
Circassians (Adygeas),throughout the world, peacefully demonstrated against Sochi Winter Olympics of 2014 on the grounds that the genocide was committed against Circassians in their own land-Sochi, which is part of Circassia. One of the demonstrations was held in Nalchik, capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria Republic which is a divided and isolated Circassian Republic, but peaceful demonstration was broken up by the Russian security troops through the use of harsh vehemence, demonstrators were detained and they were excruciated. Detained Circassians (Adygeas) were singing an epic heroic song called “Nart Badinoqua”, when dreadful tortures were perpetrated on their bodies.
The “Circassian Question” is related to “values” as much as” its national and international characters, thus we regard “Circassia” within the "Baltic-Black Sea-Caspian" area. Circassians are in favor of European values pursuant to Borjomi Declaration.
08.05.2015
We, the undersigned, respectfully submit our request to Your Excellency, for the recognition of the Circassian Genocide:
1 HAPI CEVDET YILDIZ- BANDIRMA/TURKEY.
2 MAHMUT BI- BURSA/TURKEY.
3 KHUADE ADNAN – MAYKOP/CIRCASSIA.
4 ADEL BASHQAWI – AMMAN/JORDAN.
5 MERETIKO KENAN KAPLAN- ISTANBUL/TURKEY
6 DR. NUSRET BASH-ISTANBUL/TURKEY
7 IYAD YOUGHAR- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
8 PROF.DR. SHURDUM GUNSEL AVCI- İSTANBUL/TURKEY
9 DR. KARDEN MURAT YILDIRIM - ISTANBUL/TURKEY.
10 KUBE NURHAN FIDAN – ISTANBUL/TURKEY.
11 JUDE SAIM SEZGIN- SAMSUN/TURKEY
12 SHOGEN EMINE ARSLANDOK SEZGIN- KAYSERI/ TURKEY
13 SHALAXHO RAGIP METE - SAKARYA/TURKEY.
14 THAMOKUE CIHAT ULUS- KAYSERİ/TURKEY
15 HABRACHO MURAT OZDEN -ISTANBUL/TURKEY
16 HUSHT SEMIH AKGUN – ISTANBUL/TURKEY
17 DR. OMER AYTEK KURMEL -ISTANBUL/TURKEY.
18 TAMARA BARSIK - DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
19 JADE WUMAR DENIZ – SAKARYA/TURKEY.
20 HATKO VURAL BAYRAM - ISTANBUL/TURKEY
21 CUSHA WUMAR- IZMIR/TURKEY.
22 YESHI MUSTAFA SAADET- ISTANBUL/ TURKEY.
23 BALKAR SELCUK- VAN/TURKEY
24 GINA HABOUKH –UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
25 THATL SACIT TUNC- ISTANBUL/TURKEY.
26 HATX YALCIN KARABULUT- ISTANBUL/TURKEY
27 YEKUASH CENK AVCI-ISTANBUL/TURKEY
28 SHOGEN FARUK ARSLANDOK -ISTANBUL/TURKEY
29 SHEWLOKH ERDINC UNSALAN – K.MARAS/TURKEY.
30 ALI BERZEG, NEW YORK, USA.
31 THAGUSE EMRE AKCAN -SAKARYA/TURKEY
32 KALEKUTE ENVER SAGLAM - ISTANBUL/TURKEY
33 MIQOD NAHIDE DEMIR AYBAT – KONYA/TURKEY
34 AWTLE MUSTAFA YUKSEL-SAMSUN/TURKEY
35 HAK’ASHE ERKAN BATIR - KAYSERI/TURKEY
36 MELGOSH ILHAMI DEMIR- TOKAT/ TURKEY
37 DR. YETKIN INANOZ- ISTANBUL/TURKEY
38 KHUAKO FEHIM SARAC- ISTANBUL/TURKEY
39 OMER PIHAVA- PARIS/ FRANCE
40 KUEKUE CANER - KAYSERI/TURKEY
41 DR. MURAT DEMIRHAN- ANKARA/TURKEY
42 SHEWCEN OMER ERKAN-MUNIH/GERMANY
43 YEKUASH YUKSEL NIDA-MANISA/TURKEY
44 KUBE PERVIN MATSON- GÄVLE / SWEDEN
45 BAGH OGUZ BAGCI-MELBOURNE/AUSTRALIA
46 SHEWOSF NEFIN GUCLU-AMSTERDAM/ NETHERLANDS
47 PSHIGHUSE TEKNUR BASOK- ISTANBUL/TURKEY
48 MAUSHE HUSEYIN ULAMLI- YOZGAT/TURKEY
49 MERZEY EROL- KAYSERI/TURKEY
50 UFUK ALI BAYSAN- PARIS/FRANCE
51 ZEYNEP PIHAVA - PARIS/FRANCE
52 SHEWCEN CEVAHIR ERKAN –MUNIH/GERMANY
53 SARAH ASHMOZ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
54 EYBEK ASHMOZ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
55 SUSAN ASHMOZ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
56 NEBAL SHAPSO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
57 GUNAY SHAPSO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
58 ASIM SHAPSO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
59 ARIF NASH - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
60 BELLA SHJASH - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
61 WAFA HAKHU - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL
62 MERVAT LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
63 YAHYA HAKHO - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
64 GORKOJ JUSHAN - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
65 ADAM GORKOJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
66 BEBARS A. SHAWGAN - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
67 AZMI THAWKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
68 NAFNEH SHOGAN - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
69 JAMEEL SHJASH - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
70 SUHAILA SHJASH - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
71 MARYAM NATKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
72 ESMAEL LABAY - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
73 ALI LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
74 ADAM LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
75 AMIR LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
76 HAROUN HAKHO - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
77 SAFWAN HAKHU - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
78 MOHAMMAD LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
79 OMAR NAPSO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
80 LINA SHAPSO - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
81 RANIA GORKOJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
82 NAPSO HAROUN - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
83 SANA LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
84 YACOUB LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
85 HALA LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
86 ADNAN LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
87 MARIAN LABAY - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
88 ISMAIL ASHMOZ - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
89 LINDA LABAY - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
90 ABDEL RAHMAN LABAY - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
91 SAMARA ASHMOZ - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
92 FADEL ABZAKH - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
93 AZIZ KHAWAJ - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
94 MOHAMMAD SHOGAN - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
95 LANA SHOGAN - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
96 SUAD HARSHOUQ - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
97 HAROUN THAWKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
98 FOUAD SHOSH’HA - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
99 TAMBI SHOSH’HA - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
100 SYLVIA ECHLIEN - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
101 LISA THAWKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
102 MARYAM SHOSH’HA - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
103 ALI AMIN SHJASH - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
104 SYLVIA ESHLIEN - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
105 BASMA NASH - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
106 ZAKARIA KHAWAJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
107 FIRAS ZAWER - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
108 NOUR BEY NATKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
109 NOURA NAPSO - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
110 MERVAT KHAWAJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
111 HAROUN JINDAR - KFAR KAMA/ISRAEL.
112 BADER THAWKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
113 IMAD SHABSOUGH - AMMAN/JORDAN
114 IHSAN KHOUN - CIRCASSIAN DIASPORA
115 RANA SHABSOGH - OTTAWA, CANADA.
116 ANAS BASHMAF - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
117 LINA THAWKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
118 IBRAHIM THAWKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
119 HAROUN NATKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
120 IBRAHIM KHAWAJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
121 SHINA KHAWAJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
122 JULIAN CHOS’HA - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
123 JAM HORAN - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
124 MONA KHAWAJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
125 SARAH NAPSO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
126 SAID LAMBER - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
127 HUDA ABERG - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
128 ISHAQ GORKOJ - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
129 NAPSO FOUAD - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
130 JAN OMAR - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
131 FAKHER SALEH - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
132 ISHAQ NASH - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
133 LANA AQBI – OTAWA/CANADA
134 NOUR MOHAMMED GHESH - CIRCASSIAN DIASPORA.
135 SARAH THAWKHO - KFAR KAMA, ISRAEL.
136 MEJD GHOTOQ - CIRCASSIAN DIASPORA
137 ZACK BARSAQUA - NEW JERSEY, USA.
138 BELAL BEYRAM BASHKOUR - CIRCASSIAN DIASPORA
139 MAHER AQBI - AMMAN, JORDAN.
140 JANET BASHQAWI - AMMAN, JORDAN.
141 MALIK LIBZO - AMMAN, JORDAN.
142 AHMED DAGHESTANI - AMMAN, JORDAN.
143 JAWAD HABI - AMMAN, JORDAN.
144 TAMBI BIYOUK - AMMAN, JORDAN.
145 HAMID ABZAKH - AMMAN, JORDAN.
146 ZAINA BASHQAWI - AMMAN, JORDAN.
147 AMIN ANSOUQA - AMMAN, JORDAN.
148 SAMER HABOUKH - AMMAN, JORDAN.
149 DR. ROUHI SHHALTOUGH – AMMAN/JORDAN
150 ISHAQ MOLA - AMMAN/JORDAN
151 MOHAMMAD SHAHANKARI – AMMAN/JORDAN
152 DR. LISA JARKASI - AUSTRALIA
153 HASAN NABAS - AMMAN/JORDAN
154 DANA WAJOKH UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
155 OMAR SHABSOUGH - AMMAN/JORDAN
156 AHMAD BASHQAWI – TORONTO/CANADA
157 MAZIN LIBZO - AMMAN, JORDAN.
158 MADEEN SOBER - AMMAN/JORDAN
159 NADER ABZAKH - AMMAN/JORDAN
160 SAWSER HATUKAY, KFAR-KAMA, ISRAEL
161 HASSAN YOUGHAR - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
162 SUZI SOOBZOKOV - NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES.
163 DALAL SHAKER - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
164 YARIHAN BIRKDAR - NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES.
165 BADRIA GHAZI - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
166 KEVIN KASHMAN - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
167 NART SHAWA - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
168 YANAL SHAWA - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
169 SIMA CHABAN - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
170 DANIA CHABAN - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
171 MOTAZ QADAN, - NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
172 OMAR TSAY – NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
173 ABDALLAH KHOTA - A SYRIAN RESIDING IN KAHRAMANMARAS, TURKEY.
174 MAZEN RAJAB - DAMASCUS, SYRIA.
175 REAM HATOW - DAMASCUS, SYRIA.