Before downfall of Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s regime in Georgia (January 1992) it was only possible to set the problem of return of Meskheti Turks in a theoretical plane. The new leadership — the Military Council and then the State Council has recognized the possibility of repatriation of Meskheti Turks. In March 1992 by the direction issued by the Chairman of the State Council E.A.Shevardnadze a Commission for problems of the population deported from Southern Georgia in 1944 was established. In April, the same year the delegation representing the Commission held negotiations with the administration of Krasnodarski Krai, and a «Conceptual plan of repatriation of the population deported in 1944 from Meskheti and Djavakheti of Georgian SSR» was elaborated as a result of the talks. The elaborated text was not specifying any dates of possible repatriation, its mechanisms and specific obligations of the parties. The document mentioned a possibility of «preparing conditions for repatriation to Georgia of a part of earlier deported population in the second half of 1992". From the Georgian party the »Conceptual plan" was signed by members of the Commission of the State Council Ghuram Mamulia and Eldar Shenghelaya, from Krasnodarski Krai party — by the Head of the Department of the Krasnodarski Krai’s Soviet M.V.Savva. The document has not any practical consequences.

Speaking of the repatriation of the deported people and their successors, the Vatan‘s leaders and Georgian authorities are meaning different things. The Vatan supported by the majority of Meskheti Turks is insisting upon return of the people to the localities they were exiled from, that is, Akhaltsikhe district. The Vatan‘s leaders are not opposing the idea of providing a possibility to Meskheti Turks who wish to settle to other places in Georgia to go to such places, but only after the recognition and implementation of the right of the deported people and their successors to live in their native places. Georgian officials prefer to speak of repatriation of Meskheti Turks to Georgian territory in general terms, meaning their settling to different areas of the country. But the majority of Meskheti Turks consider that having settled in other places but Akhaltsikhe district (in other parts of Georgia, in Turkey and Russia) they shall remain some kind of «undesired guests» deprived of any guarantees for future.

Leaders of the State Council of Georgia and of the Commission for the problems of the deported population, as is demonstrated by some statements and publications, assumed that only those Meskheti Turks shall be returned to the country who are ready to acknowledge that they are Georgians and to settle by small groups to different parts of Georgia. In other words, their consent to «return to national roots», that is, assimilation was considered as a prerequisite of repatriation. But this position prudently is not reflected in official documents. The policy in respect to the Meskheti problem is remaining almost unchanged after the parliamentary election that took place in October 1992 and is such up to now.

The country’s leadership has adopted several official documents declaring the beginning of preparation to «phased repatriation». It is necessary to mention in this series the Direction of the Head of State of the Republic of Georgia # 106 dated May 18, 1993 «On settlement of some social problems of the deported Meskheti Turks» and the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers no.589 dated August 23, 1994 «On repatriation of the persons deported from Samtsche–Djavakheti». The latter is important for the fact that it is directly recognizing the right of the deported people to return to Georgia unconditionally irrespective of their nationality. Item 2 of the Resolution # 589 directs to some Ministries and Departments to prepare a Bill relating to repatriation and to take some organizational measures preparing a phased repatriation of Meskheti Turks.

As a result of the visit to Georgia of an Interdepartmental Commission of the Russian Federation for Meskheti Turks Problems that took place in August 16, 1994 the «Protocol of intentions for cooperation in accordance with the results of negotiations of the delegations of the Republic of Georgia and the Russian Federation concerning the problem of repatriation to Georgia of Meskheti Turks and other persons deported in 1944 from Samtsche–Djavakheti and temporarily living on the territory of Russia» was signed. Item 6 of the Protocol is making provisions for elaboration and submitting to leadership of the two states a draft intergovernmental agreement on repatriation by December 15, 1994.

Both the Protocol and the Resolution are essentially the declarations of intentions: they are not determining any mechanisms, or conditions, or terms, or financing sources or sources of logistical support of repatriation.

In November the Georgia repatriation service delivered to Russian interdepartmental commission on Meskheti Turks problem a draft «Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Georgia on the matters connected with restoration of rights of the deported persons including their successors». The document reproduces the text of the Bishkek agreement between the CIS countries concerning restoration of rights of the deported peoples signed in 1992, with minor replacements of essential nature. First, a draft that was proposed was not a draft interstate agreement (as the Bishkek agreement), but a draft intergovernmental agreement not competent to correct the parties’ legislations, and so the majority of Articles of this document may only be considered as declarations having no independent practical content. Second, the draft agreement is making provisions for repatriation to the territory of the state where they lived earlier but not to the places, from which they were exiled. In the case of Meskheti Turks it means that Georgian party is not guaranteeing their return to Akhaltsikhe district and is intending to settle them within the entire Georgian territory, and the majority of Meskheti Turks do not agree with it.

Besides, the text of the draft agreement is not providing for any conditions, mechanisms and dates of repatriation of the deported persons and their successors to Georgia, the details relating to funding the process, duties of the state bodies of Georgia relating to repatriation, the mechanism of control and mutual responsibilities of the parties. Nevertheless, the draft agreement was approved in general at the meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission on November 10, 1994, and in December it was initialled by Georgian party.

It is necessary to take into consideration that the capabilities of Georgian leadership, as concerns the organized repatriation of Meskheti Turks, are very limited. It is necessary for it to take into account a large-scale phenomenon of ethnic xenophobia (particularly in respect to Moslems) and the pressure of radical nationalist opposition. Almost nobody among Georgian politicians are ready to take responsibility for a large-scale repatriation of not only Turks but even the Moslems who recognized themselves as Georgians. Serious obstacles here are extreme political instability and economic devastation. Actually, Georgian authorities are not able to undertake any large-scale obligations; at the same time they would like to save their reputation not opposing directly the repatriation of deported people. In accordance with the available information, Turkey’s authorities are tieing up provision of economic assistance to Georgia and implementation of several projects with the commencement of organized repatriation of Meskheti Turks. All the factors mentioned are determining the position of Georgian leadership: to simulate the activity in preparation for repatriation without taking any direct responsibilities, and at the same time to assure Georgian public that the repatriation shall only be possible for those who acknowledge themselves Georgians. As concerns Meskheti Turks, the version proposed by Georgian authorities shall only cover in near future, in case of the most favorable outcome, several hundred families.

In August 1994, during the visit of Russian delegation to Georgia, that included representatives of Krasnodarski Krai’s administration (particularly the Head of the Krasnodarski Krai’s Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs V.V.Remmler), a possibility was discussed of repatriation in the nearest possible future of 100 Meskheti Turks families to Tsalka district of Georgia. The plan was proposed by the head of the repatriation service of the Cabinet of Ministers of Georgia G.S.Mamulia. Tsalka district is predominantly populated by Urum Greeks who originate from North-Eastern Anatolia, are Orthodox Christians and speak Turkish. A part of Urum Greeks has left recently for Greece and Krasnodarski Krai. In the opinion of the authors of the plan, Meskheti Turks might settle to empty houses. The proposal was actively supported by Krasnodarski Krai’s administration and the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs. According to V.V.Remmler’s statement made in October 1994, migration of Meskheti Turks to Tsalka was greeted by the head of the district’s administration, and other Georgian authorities were not opposing the project, too, including the Government. In October, a preliminary information was received that the migration might be funded by the International Migration Society. The migration to Tsalka was also coordinated allegedly on an oral basis with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. It should be mentioned that the Georgian–Russian Protocol (Item 7) is not excluding a possibility of beginning the repatriation to Georgia before conclusion of the intergovernmental agreement. At the same time, according to V.V.Remmler, the consent of Georgian authorities for this operation and their obligations against the repatriates were not documented in any manner. So it was impossible to set forth a problem of any guarantees against those who migrate to Georgia.

The results of the talks with officers of the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs and representatives of the administration of Krymsk district in October 1994 have demonstrated that the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs in coordination with the Ministry of National Affairs and Regional Policy of the Russian Federation was likely to accelerate the repatriation of Meskheti Turks to Georgia in nearest possible future irrespective of the process and the results of the interstate talks. With this purpose the officials of the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs were forcing the organizations representing Meskheti Turks to compile lists and collect signatures of those who wish to leave for Georgia.

It is possible to state that the administration was trying to force Meskheti Turks to accept the version of repatriation proposed by Georgian authorities and to refuse from the demands of repatriation to Meskheti district exclusively. As is acknowledged by the Head of the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs V.V.Remmler, representatives of the Krai’s administration (not specified personally) were warning the leaders of the Vatan‘s local organizations that if Turks are persisting in their desire to return exactly to Akhaltsikhe district, and not to Georgia in general, they shall not be permitted to prolong their residence cards (as concerns the majority of Meskheti Turks, their cards became invalid at the end of 1994) and provisional motor car numbers shall be seized [October 21, 1994]. In accordance with our observations, the same warnings were, obviously, delivered to the authorities of Krymsk district. On October 19 the administration of the district organized a meeting participated by representatives of Meskheti Turks and Cossacks where the participants were informed of the plans of migration to Tsalka district of 100 families and of the fact that the departure of Meskheti Turks from the Krai is planned for near future.¹ According to M.S.Kizilov, the Krai’s administration has set a task of moving 100 families before the New Year. The same was reported by him to Krymsk district’s newspaper.²

According to the leaders of Meskheti Turks’ societies and those who spoke at Meskheti Turks’ meeting held on October 27, 1994 at settlement Nizhnebakansky in our presence, it is possible to conclude that the attitude of Meskheti Turks themselves to the planned action was different, from moderate negative (supporters of the societies Umid and Khsna) to strong negative (the supporters of the Vatan society). The majority of Meskheti Turks are unconditionally advocating for return to their native territory. Principal objections of the people who agree essentially with repatriation to other areas in Georgia may be brought to the following:

1. The migration is begun without provision of any governmental, particularly legislative guarantees. The Meskheti Turks shall be moved not to the land they were exiled from but to other areas. As a result their position shall not change essentially, they shall live a precarious existence at foreign territory, as before.

2. The migration is not possible without thorough preparation, arranged in a short period, to which they are actually forced, as consider Meskheti Turks. A long thorough preparation is necessary, a reconnaissance, solution of the problem of allocation of land plots, ensuring personal security for migrants, etc.

3. As concerns migration to Tsalka — the ownership of the houses to which it was planned to settle Meskheti Turks is not clear. They think that all the empty houses in Tsalka district are having their legal owners who are not going to sell them voluntarily. The Greeks from Tsalka who live in Krasnodarski Krai now have warned the leaders of Meskheti Turks (according to the latter) from settling to their district and have informed of the intent of those who left the district temporarily to return there finally.

According to officers of the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs, collection of signatures and preparation for repatriation were carried out first for «soothing» the local Cossacks on the eve of the election the Krai Duma and local representative bodies. As the repatriation of Meskheti Turks was planned first for propaganda purposes, the Cossacks were immediately informed of its preparation. But it has produced an additional provocative effect. Cossacks have received a new and very convenient cause for exerting a stronger pressure at both Meskheti Turks and the administration. As is demonstrated by interviews, the following myth is very popular: Meskheti Turks are trying to consolidate their position at Kuban region, and their talking of a desire to leave for their historic native land are only used as a blind — first they wanted to return to Georgia, and when the way to Georgia is open, they begin to set forth new demands. A conclusion is made from this — a stronger pressure is necessary, any number of Turkish families should be forced from the Krai’s territory as soon as there is a minimum possibility for it.

We were told at the meeting of Turkish community of settlement Nizhnebakansky, Krymsk district on October 27, 1994 that local Cossacks have already demanded that |he first Meskheti Turks families leave before the end of the month. According to A.Bayrakhtarov and E.Abbassov, Cossacks organized a meeting in Nizhnebakansky on October 19 and invited Meskheti Turks to it. Those who spoke there on behalf of the Cossacks stated that a resolution was adopted in Georgia concerning reception of Meskheti Turks, so the latter should begin to leave the Krai as soon as possible. Senior inspector of the Department of Internal Affairs of Abinsk district I.P.Kochurov and the district Cossack chieftain (ataman) A.S.Fedenko stated in their interview that Turkish leaders publicly promised to Cossacks in September in the administration’s building to leave for any area in Georgia as soon as a possibility is found for it, but now when there is a possibility of moving to Tsalka district Meskheti Turks refuse to do it [October 31, 1994].

The situation described here had not any development in October–November 1994. On October 31 the Umid society’s leaders have prepared a list of 125 families who were allegedly ready for repatriation to Georgia, but when sending the list to the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs they set forth a number of conditions in the document necessary for the repatriation: the recognition of their right to return to Akhaltsikhe district, legislative guarantees for the repatriation, creating conditions for selling the real estate in Krasnodarski Krai and for thorough preparation of their settlement on the territory of Georgia. In the beginning of November the meetings were held in Krymsk and settlement Kholmsky with participation of representatives of the administration, leaders of Meskheti Turks and Cossacks. The Cossacks were accusing the Turks, but the event ended peacefully, and the Krai administration ceased to insist on fast repatriation to Tsalka.³

The official version of the Krai administration and the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs and Regional Policy stated particularly in the letters sent to the leader of the Vatan society S.Tedorov signed by Deputy Head of the Administration of Krasnodarski Krai V.N.Saloshenko (# 06-06/34 dated May 3, 1995) and the Deputy Head of Department V.V.Ostrozhny (# 16-08/246 dated June 26, 1995) is stating that the «unauthorized departure of Meskheti Turks using several buses to the territory of the Republic of Georgia has brought to naught the achieved agreements and caused locking by Georgia the problem of Meskheti Turks’ repatriation to the places of traditional settlement». [The documents are available with the compilers].

In accordance with our data, the Vatan‘s Central Council and regional divisions were planning mourning ceremonies on November 15, 1994 in Akhaltsikhe on the occasion of 50th anniversary of deportation of Meskheti Turks, as well as visiting Tbilisi. They informed of the plan the Government of the Russian Federation, the Cabinet of Ministers of Georgia, the Ministry of National Affairs and Regional Policy of the Russian Federation and the repatriation service attached to the Cabinet of Ministers of Georgia. These appeals and proposals concerning mutual organization of the ceremonies on the occasion of the mourning anniversary remained without any answer. The Vatan‘s members headed by the Chairman of the Central Council of the Society tried to enter the territory of Georgia using seven (nine, in accordance with other data) buses from the side of North Ossetia, but were stopped and detained in Tskhinvali. A group of Meskheti Turks from Azerbaijan moving to Tbilisi at several buses was detained at the Azerbaijan–Georgia border, and several men that have entered the country through Adjaria and visited Akhaltsikhe and Tbilisi without any actions have returned safely. The fact of a visit of Meskheti Turks to Tsalka district after September 1994 was rejected by acting deputy head of the repatriation service Alexandra Tevzadze and officers of the service during an interview taken by A.G.Ossipov in Tbilisi on October 25, 1995.

Signing of the Russian–Georgian agreement was delayed for an indefinite period of time, obviously, because of the war in Chechnya. On May 25 to 28 the Minister of National Affairs of the Russian Federation N.D.Egorov and Head of the Administration of Krasnodarski Krai paid an official visit to Tbilisi. During the talks with Georgian leaders no agreements relating to Meskheti Turks were signed, the Russian delegation has only received oral assertions that Georgian party is intending to solve the problem positively. According to V.V.Remmler, the Russian interdepartmental commission for Meskheti Turks’ problems has proposed a repatriation schedule, but Georgian party has refused to sign it [July 5, 1995]. So the situation has not moved from the dead point.

It should be mentioned that planned Russian–Georgian agreements, even in the event they are fulfilled, are not guaranteeing to the majority of Meskheti Turks their migration and settlement to Georgia. On the one hand, the majority of Meskheti Turks are originally and essentially opposing the proposed version. On the other hand, the improvised and taken for propaganda purposes, having no normative base repatriation of Meskheti Turks to different areas of Georgia, irrespective of whether it takes place or remains a project, may have some negative consequences. First, it is provoking Cossacks in Krasnodarski Krai for more decisive and aggressive efforts against Turks; second, it may cause conflicts (in Georgia, too) and complicate the possibility of migration of other families of Meskheti Turks to Georgia.

The Krai’s Administration proposes notoriously unacceptable conditions of migration and receives the ground for accusing Meskheti Turks in non-constructiveness using the fact that a few people are aware of the details of the problem. The representatives of the Department of National Affairs and Migration Affairs and Regional Policy are thoroughly avoiding an important problem: as Meskheti Turks are not legalized in the Krai and are not registered as its residents, they are not permitted to move anywhere: no passports for foreign travels are issued to those who are not registered, they cannot sell their houses without due execution of transaction.

The Administration of Krasnodarski Krai and, as was demonstrated by the process of elaborating the draft agreement between Russia and Georgia, leaders of the Ministry of National Affairs and Regional Policy of the Russian Federation are ready to put forward migration of Meskheti Turks to Georgia on the conditions proposed by Georgian party as the principal way of solving the existing problems. So a conclusion may be made: Russia’s and Krasnodarski Krai’s authorities, as well as Georgian leaders are only simulating the constructive activities in respect to Meskheti Turks. Actually, the agreements with Georgia are only used as a formal screen making it possible not to grant civil rights to Meskheti Turks and to force them gradually from the Krai through creating intolerable life conditions. This strategy is assuming objectively concessions and connivance to chauvinistic movements in Krasnodarski Krai. Though Russian–Georgian intergovernmental agreement is not still concluded, the threat of forcing Meskheti Turks from Krasnodarski Krai under pretence of «repatriation» is very acute.