The ‘Memorial’ Human Rights  Centre,
Programme ‘Ethnic Discrimination in the Regions of Russian Federation’,

Alexander Ossipov, programme officer

NEWSLETTER  Nо. 2
5/12/97

Stop Ethnic Cleansing in  Krasnodar Territory!

The situation around Meskhetian Turks (Ahisha Turkleri) in Krasnodar Territory (krai) of the Russian Federation becomes critical. More than 13 000 Turks residing  within the region since 1989-1990 are not only arbitrary deprived of the basic civil and human right — the regional authorities are doing their best to squeeze them out of the territory. More and more severe methods are being used recently for these purposes, and the federal authorities have actually approved actions of the regional leaders. It is the first case in the new Russia, when the state machinery without a situation of an armed conflict systematically and deliberately works against a certain ethnic group  At any moment a ‘soft ethnic cleansing’ can evolve into a violent ‘clean-up’, the second one in the contemporary Russia after the events of 1992 in Prigorodnyi district of the North Ossetia.

Within the last month the ‘checks of passport regime’ aimed at Meskhetians have become total. Regular household-by-household  patrol rounds are being made,  policemen and member of the ‘Cossack’ organisations  are catching Turks at the markets, on the streets and roads and fining them for a lack of the local permanent registration, even detaining some persons (including women) and keeping them imprisoned for several days. The sum, that is being taken for the ‘temporary registration’  has arisen — now Turks have to pay 250 000 instead of 188 000 rubles for the registration at a term of  45 days. Actually every day Turks have to face direct abuses and threats from police servicemen and  members of the organisations, which call themselves ‘Cossacks’. The Cossack groups openly  threaten with pogroms and  violent evictions. One of the last demonstration of force took place on 14 November, when the Cossacks obstructed the memorial meeting held by Turks  on the anniversary of  the 1944 deportation of this people from southern Georgia to Central Asia.

The Krasnodar regional public prosecutor and the regional department of the internal affairs do no find anything illegal in the actions of the Cossack groups,  for instance,  in the banishment of 4 Moslem families from the Vinogradny Homestead (Krymsk district). The Krasnodar regional administration regularly declares, that it stands for compulsory eviction of the Meskhetian Turks from the territory, for the last time statements of this kind  were made at the special meeting on interethnic relation held by the regional government in Krasnodar on 18-19 November.  

The Russian Ministry of Nationalities Affairs and Federative Relations demonstrates a position, that actually means support of the Krasnodar authorities. A working group of the Ministry headed by the deputy minister Vladimir Bauer is preparing for the RF government a set of  suggestions, which envisages  general support to the ‘voluntary’ emigration of the Turks to Georgia and Turkey (while in the actual circumstances only a small part of Meskhetians will be able and wants to use this opportunity) and  garantees of rights only to those Meskhetians, who are Russian citisens. In fact the regional authorities recognise Russian citisens only a small part of the Meskhetians who succeeded in getting permanent registration somewhere on the Russian territory  and  documenting their citisenship. As reported by ITAR-TASS newsagency on November 24, 1997, Vladimir Bauer, Deputy Minister on the Affairs on Nationalities and Federative Relations stated that ‘...next year, we shall began to resettle the Meskhetian Turks who form a compact community in Krasnodar Krai without official authorisation. Their stay there is regarded as temporary.’ A similar approach to this issue has been voiced by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs. The President’s Administration  avoids dealing with the Meskhetians’ problems.

One can hardly suppose that the federal or regional authorities try to start an organised deportation of the Turks to the other regions of Russia or anywhere else. Two scenarios look realistic. The Krasnodar authorities can gradually evict the small groups of Turks  out of the region  and count on the following mass exodus. The administration can also encourage the Cossack groups and lead the situation to pogroms and clashes and then strive for ‘evacuation’ of the Turks. In the both cases the regional administration can count that it will be able to avoid  wide publicity, thrust their own version of the ongoing on everybody and to decline responsibility.

It is necessary to take into account that if the Krasnodar authorities manage to fulfil their plans it would not be the end of the story. While the policies of appeasement, that is concessions to extremist forces led to blood shed in a number of regions within the former USSR and has become the main cause of tension within Krasnodar territory, the Russian federal authorities once more try to stick to the same line.  The regional administration and  the organisations, which call themselves ‘Cossacks’ in an open way demonstrate hostility against many non-Slavic ethnic groups, neglect attitude toward the law and eagerness to use violence. Any category of the population can be the next and take the Turks’ place.

All the attempts by the ‘Memorial’ and the Krasnodar Regional  Human Rights Association  to attract  attention of the public and mass media to actually starting  ethnic cleansing  turn out to be in vain — the problem is being stubbornly ignored. We find the situation critical and appeal for help to all the organisations which deal with human rights affairs. At the moment any help — petitions to the Russian federal authorities,  forwarding information about the problem, moral support to Meskhetian associations — is extremely valuable.  Only an energetic campaign of protest can  stop outrage against a small people. It is necessary to achieve  the following:  the Russian federal  authorities without any preliminary conditions must secure permanent registration to the Turks in Krasnodar territory, restore all the previously violated rights, officially recognise them Russian citisens in accordance with the Law ‘On citisenship in Russian Federation’,  charge according with the law all the persons responsible for the discrimination against Turks and violation of their rights, disband and outlaw the paramilitary organisations which call themselves ‘Cossacks’ and prosecute their leaders.

We can provide any additional information.