The majority of the Turks–Meskhetians who were forced to leave Uzbekistan
succeeded to take their cars to Krasnodar. Many of them intentionally purchased
motor vehicles before the departure from Uzbekistan having previously sold
the property and houses. For the refugees who were searching for a place
to stay for some time and who had to additionally moonlight at the farms
(in the fields located far away from their houses) as well as to sell merchandise
the automobile appeared to be and is even now a primary necessity.
Before 1992 the motor vehicles of the refugees — the Turks–Meskhetians were
not registered locally, they had to pass technical inspections in Uzbekistan
where they had registration and were fined by the Militia officers when
driving with the Uzbekistan license plates. In compliance with Resolution
no.97 the cars were temporary registered by the Regional State Traffic
Inspectorate. The Central Asian license plates were withdrawn from the
owners, the requests for cancelling the car registrations were forwarded
to the GAI offices of the Uzbekistan communities where they were registered
permanently. In most cases even when such requests had been sent thrice
there followed no reaction and KK GAI offices began to register the cars
of the refugees by way of exception on temporary basis. The GAI started
to carry out annual technical inspections of the vehicles in the areas
where the Turks–Meskhetians resided and issue adequate documents. The Uzbek
license plates were replaced by the temporary series: Ç — a four-digit number —
KK. The characters of the assigned series are used almost exclusively for
the Turks–Meskhetians therefore the GAI officers can determine who is driving
at a distance.
Basically the GAI officers have the right to register vehicles on a temporary
basis for a maximum of two months provided that the owner has a residence
permit or a residence certificate, or, if the owner arrived from abroad,
a PVS notice. The territorial and regional administrations introduce specific
conditions for the Meskhetians by way of exception. It is done on the basis
of a series of instructions, sometimes not documentary and partially contradicting
each other, rather than a uniform detailed act.1
At first temporary license plates were issued for one year (1992–1993),
then they were validated for another year (1993–1994). In March and April
of 1994, before the circular letter of Territory Administration Deputy
Chief R.Yu.Gusaruk of 14.04 came out, local authorities did not prolong
the validity of the temporary license plates of the refugees. Some of them
were given back their old Central Asian license plates. The letter of KK
Territory Administration Deputy Chief A.A.Zhdanovskiy of 23.11.94 recommended
that the local State Traffic Inspectorate offices extend temporary registration
of the refugees’ vehicles. Nevertheless in November of 1994 in accordance
with an alleged instruction from the territorial authorities further registration
of the Turks’ vehicles in Byelorechensk was suspended. The temporary license
plates were withdrawn from the refugees and replaced by the old Central
Asian ones. Of course, without local registration the vehicles could not
either pass technical inspections or be used by the owners.
From April of 1995 Krymsk Region, too, suspended further registration of
the Turks–Meskhetians since they did not have temporary registration certificates
which the regional administration had ceased to issue to them by this time.
They resumed to issue certificates only in the end of June.
From spring of 1995 Krymsk Region have ceased to prolong the validity of
vehicle temporary registration for those Meskhetians who had permanent
residence permits in Rostov and other Russian regions.2
The documents related to vehicle possession and use may be issued only
to those persons who have permanent residence registration. In case of
technical passports loss or deprivation they can not be renewed at the
place of actual domicile. Some Meskhetians had to go to Central Asia to
replace their documents. Since the refugees have no permanent residence
registration they can not receive driving licenses either. The students
of the special vocational training school in Apsheronsk trained in the
areas connected with driving vehicles would not receive their diplomas
after finishing school.3
The car owners with temporary license plates may sell them provided that
they have retrieved their old license plates and cleared the automobile
at the customs’. Persons without residence registration can not purchase
automobiles either. If an automobile is purchased, given as a gift or by
will it would be used by a general power of attorney. Yet in May of 1995
Krymsk Region suspended technical inspections of the vehicles owned by
power of attorney which was a heavy blow for many refugees.
THE PROBLEMS OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE OWNERS