The history and emergence of such a people as Meskhetian Turks is covered with interesting historical facts. The position of this nation on the geographical and socio-political map of the world has remained very ambiguous for several decades. The origin of the Turks and the features of their identification in the modern world are the subject of research by a number of scientists - sociologists, anthropologists, historians and lawyers.
Until now, researchers have not come to a common denominator in studying this issue. It is important that the Meskhetian Turks themselves ambiguously denote their ethnicity.
One group attributes itself to the native Georgians who converted to Islam in the 17-18 centuries. and mastered the Turkish language; the other is the descendants of the Turks who ended up in Georgia during the Ottoman Empire.
One way or another, representatives of this people, in connection with historical events, underwent many migrations and led a nomadic lifestyle. This is due to several waves of deportations that the Meskhetian Turks survived (from Meskhetia, located on the territory of Southern Georgia in the Meskhet-Javakheti region). Moreover, the Meskhetians call themselves Akhaltsikhe Turks (Ahıska Türkler).
The first large-scale expulsion from the developed native places dates back to 1944. It was then that under the order of I. Stalin it was necessary to deport the "objectionable" in the person of Meskhetian Turks, Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Greeks, Germans. It was during this period that more than 90, 000 Meskhetians went to the Uzbek, Kazakh and Kyrgyz SSR.
So, not having time to recover from the ordeals, the new generation of Meskhetian Turks suffered oppression as a result of hostilities in the Ferghana Valley of the Uzbek SSR. After becoming victims of the massacre, after the order of the Government of the USSR, they were evacuated to Central Russia. One of the main goals pursued by the Ferghana "mess" was the Kremlin’s pressure on Georgia and the entire people, who declared their desire to be independent and free in April 1989.
With the growing conflict and instability of the situation not only in Ferghana, but also in other parts of the country, the Turks dispersed in Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan. In total, about 70 thousand people became internally displaced persons.
In the modern world, the issue of repatriation and protection of the rights of the Meskhetian people is very relevant and difficult, speaking at the forefront of international relations and political upheavals. The problem is compounded by the ambiguity of goals, terms and wishes, both on the part of the authorities and the representatives of the people themselves.
Having joined the Council of Europe in 1999, Georgia pledged to raise and resolve the issue of returning the Turks to their homeland, intensify the process of repatriation and integration, and give them official citizenship within 12 years.
However, there are factors complicating the implementation of this project. Among them:
- the once active Armenization of the historical homeland of the Turks (Meskheti and Javakheti); fanatical moods of aggression of one minority against the return of another to this territory are traced;
- insufficiently decisive position of the Georgian official bodies;
- the low level of the legal framework governing this issue, which is the reason for the lack of results of all decisions made and voiced.
