27.06.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Parliament approved a draft law on the repatriation of Meskhetians on its second reading ("Proposal to Repatriate Meskhetians Passed on Second Reading") [ID 20392]

Document(s): Open document

23.06.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Georgian lawmakers have given preliminary backing to legislation authorizing the repatriation of a largely Muslim minority who were deported en masse to Central Asia in the 1940s ("Georgian Parliament Backs Meshketian Turks Repatriation") [ID 20390]

Document(s): Open document

13.02.2007 - Source: Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance

There are in total between 370,000 and 400,000 Meskhetian Turks in the world; most of them live in countries of the former Soviet Union; they were deported under Stalin from Samtskhe-Javakheti in Georgia ("Second report on Georgia: Adopted on 30 June 2006 and made public on 13 February 2007 [CRI(2007)2]") [ID 19181]

"According to estimations, there are in total between 370,000 and 400.000 Meskhetian Turks in the world, mostly living in the various countries of the former Soviet Union. The Meskhetian Turks were deported under Stalin from the region where they then lived (Meskhetia, now known as Samtskhe-Javakheti)."

Document(s): Open document

08.2005 - Source: European Centre for Minority Issues

Roundtable discussion seeking solution for repatriation of Meskhetians; government committee established in November 2004 to address this issue was present ("Finding Durable Solutions for the Meshketians; A Presentation of Preliminary Findings and a Roundtable Discussion with Government and Civil Society Actors in Georgia") [#39119],  [ID 5055]

For position of Meskhetian Turks outside Georgia refer to the original document

"BACKGROUND

The Meskhetian Turks are one of the last of the national groups of the Soviet Union deported by Stalin in 1943–44, who have not yet been able to return to their native region (in southwest Georgia). Currently numbering some 370–400,000 people, the Meskhetian Turks, following pogroms and multiple displacements, find themselves scattered across vast territories of Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and, most recently, the United States. In some of these countries, the Meskhetian Turks are exposed to ethnic persecution and discrimination, while Georgia, so far, has effectively blocked resettlement to their native region.[…]

CONFERENCE RATIONALE
In late 2004 and early 2005, Georgia has come under increased pressure from the CoE to fulfill its obligation to address the issue of the Meskhetian Turks. In November 2004, a government committee was formed to address the repatriation of the Meskhetian Turks[…]

Georgia STATISTICS:

- Approx. 643 Muslim Meskhetians reside in 17 locations in Georgia: […]
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS: A small number of families live in western Georgia. A larger number had resettled to Georgia in the 1970s, but were forced to leave again for Ukraine and other countries in the 1990s. The Muslim Meskhetians who remained in Georgia initially spoke only their native Anatolian Turkish dialect or Russian. However, with time, Muslim Meskhetians established close relationships with the neighbouring/host communities while managing to maintain their traditional internal social networks, habits, language and culture at the same time. This process eventually resulted in their comparatively successful integration into Georgian society within the areas of their settlement: middle-aged and young Muslim Meskhetians, especially those who had been born in Georgia, acquired good command of the Georgian language, while Meskhetian youth attend local Georgian schools and universities. [...] Further, it is understood that interviews must be conducted with their neighbours, to discern attitudes towards the Muslim Meskhetians. It is felt that they would object to the return of Muslim Meskhetians but people in different regions have different opinions on the subject.

Problems faced by Georgian government

[…] Questions of ethnic identification, language and legal issues were consistently raised. [...]
ECMI researcher, Alexander Ossipov, broached the issue of undertaking the logistical issues of resettlement – the documents that would be required by Meskhetian Turks in other countries, challenges they might face from their ‘host’ countries and the sale of property.
The State Minister on Conflict Resolution Issues also raised the issue of accommodation. He noted that most villages have been populated by other formerly deported persons – these houses cannot simply be emptied. Likewise, some of the villages either no longer exist or are in ruins. He also emphasized that the ethnic composition of the people already living in the regions where the Meskhetian Turks anticipate returning will need to be taken into account in order to ensure that they are not placed in a potential ethnic conflict situation. […]
Therefore, they must learn Georgian, and must live in designated areas for 10–15 years. The State Minister argued that it should be up to the returnees to decide where they want to live. […]
It was noted that Georgia assumed a legitimate obligation to repatriate the Meskhetian Turks with the collapse of the Soviet Union and Georgia’s membership in the CoE, but repatriation would not be the end of the story. [...]
Many wanted to know if the Meskhetian Turks were ready to learn the Georgian language and to participate in public life. […] Elena Chikadze, who conducted research in Uzbekistan, commented that the Meskhetian Turks who were interviewed were not asked if they wanted to learn Georgian – but claimed that it would not be a problem for the children. This was backed up by ECMI’s expert from Ukraine, Olena Malynovska, who said that as the Meskhetian Turks are already multilingual, one more language should not be a great obstacle. […].
Chairman of Vatan, the largest organization of Meskhetian Turks. He noted that the Meskhetian Turks have wanted to return to Georgia for 60 years, but that with no opportunities for work, or any means to support their families, they have been forced to stay where they are. To move to anywhere other than Georgia would be considered a forced measure."

Document(s): Open document

04.02.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

General information on the situation of the deported Meskhetian population ("The situation of deported Meskhetian population [Doc. 10451]") [#33352],  [ID 5058]

"Meskhetian Turks were deported in 1944 from their homeland in Southwest Georgia to Central Asia by the Soviet regime. After an outbreak of violence and riots in 1989, which included attacks against Meskhetian Turks in the Ferghana Valley in Uzbekistan, over 70 000 Meskhetian Turks left Uzbekistan and live today dispersed in several countries: the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

The present situation of the Meskhetian population living in the Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation raises a special concern of the international community. Considering their stay as temporary, the local authorities refused to grant them permanent residence registration, the so-called "propiska". Due to the officials' unlawful refusal to grant propiska and later to recognize the people as Russian citizens, the Meskhetian Turks in Krasnodar remain in legal limbo. They are deprived of basic civil, political, economic and social rights.

The return of Meskhetian Turks to Georgia is hampered by the delay in the fulfilment by Georgia of the commitment undertaken upon its accession to the Council of Europe, to adopt a legal framework permitting repatriation and integration of Meshketian Turks.

In its resolution, the Parliamentary Assembly calls on the Governments of the Russian Federation and Georgia to take urgent measures to improve the situation of the Meskhetian population and to create conditions for an early and sustainable repatriation of those Meskhetian Turks who wish to return to their native region."

Document(s): Open document

19.01.2004 - Source: Caucasian Knot

Akhaltsikhe (Meskhetian) Turks deported in 1944 keep on insisting on their return to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region ("Turks-Meskhetians insist on fulfillment of Georgia's commitments to Council of Europe (Prime News Information Agency )") [#21772],  [ID 5060]

"Akhaltsikhe (Meskhetian) Turks deported in 1944 keep on insisting on their return to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, which is their native land, and demand that the new Georgian leadership meet commitments on the repatriation of this people undertaken to the Council of Europe more than 4 years ago. "The Turks-Meskhetians' return is an issue of State importance," said Chingiz Neyman-Zade, deputy chair of the Association of Akhaltsikhe (Meskhetian) Turks "Vatan" (Motherland) in Azerbaijan. Until this problem is settled, one can not state that Georgia follows the pass of democracy, he noted.

"The Turks-Meskhetians are tired of explaining that they require no compensation, no restitution of the villages and territories taken from them before, they are not inclined to declare autonomy in Samtskhe-Javakheti, they just want to come back and start normal life at home," said Chingiz Neyman-Zade. According to him, the only thing they need for it is a political decision of the Georgian leadership. Then they would be able to regulate their life themselves with the help of international humanitarian organizations."

Document(s): Open document

2002 - Source: Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development

Report on the Azeri, Armenian and Meskhetian minorities ("Ethnic-Confessional Groups and Challenges to Civic Integration in Georgia. Azeri, Javakheti Armenian and Muslim Meskhetian Communities.") [#8276],  [ID 5064]

Document(s): Open document
cpidd-geo2002-minorities.pdf

07.2001 - Source: Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development

CIPDD: Draft law on repatriation of deported "Meshketian Muslims" ("Georgia's Membership in the Council of Europe, Achievements and Failures") [#10549],  [ID 5069]

"In 1944, Muslim population of the southern Georgia, now the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, was deported by Stalin’s regime to Central Asia. Most of these people consider themselves ethnic Turks, but this is contested by other – though smaller – part of this population, therefore we will call them “Meskhetian Muslims”. Currently most of this people reside in the Central Asia, Russia and Azerbaijan. Georgia committed itself to enact a law on the repatriation of the deported population within two years of accession to the CoE, and complete the actual process of repatriation within 12 years. However, this is probably the least popular among Georgian commitments, and majority of the population (especially in Samtskhe-Javakheti itself) opposes the repatriation.
Two draft laws on repatriation had been prepared, by the government’s Service of Repatriation, headed by Guram Mamulia, and by the Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), an NGO. The GYLA draft provides for an elaborate, stage by stage, procedure of repatriation. The status of a repatriate should be granted
within one year after the actual repatriation. During this period repatriates should decide whether they have adapted to the local conditions and were ready to apply for the Georgian citizenship. After the law on the repatriation of the deported population is adopted, the parliament should develop and debate relevant amendments to the organic law of citizenship of Georgia. Authors of the draft consider that the Georgian government should sign agreements with governments of all the countries where the deported population currently reside. The law, however, does not provide for legal rehabilitation of the deportees on the ground that the crime of deportation was committed by another state – the Soviet Union, and Georgia cannot take responsibility for it. The latter point was criticized by some groups defending interests of Meskhetians, as they insist on the necessity of rehabilitation and unconditionally granting Georgian citizenship without any waiting periods. Mamulia’s draft focused on the latter points and neglected specific procedures of repatriation as less
important."

Document(s): cipdd-geo.pdf