I.HISTORY and DEMOGRAPHY
Ancient Greks called everyone who lives in the east Black Sea not treating differently "COLCHIS" . According to Strabo in MÖ 1 th yy the borders of Abkhazia went to Trabzon from place that now Pitsunda is. Hekataios (M.Ö. 500) shows Heniokhai (the country of Wubih) in the Abkhazia's borders. According to Karyanda the nation and district of Akhaioi (Achaenos) coincides Abkhazia. Akhaiois who live north of the Abkhazia are the ancestors of ancient Grek Akhas. Akhas whose heroisms are told in illiada and Odiccea , take the culture of Circassian to Greece and create big civilisations by joining with native culture. According to the geographers of ancient period Sochi and Gagra were Akhas country. Today it is know by the science environs that the Akhas are ancestors of Wubih , Abkhaz and Abazin. These regions in the begining of middle period was in Bizans empire's power. So they met Christian in the term of emperor Justinyanus. Especially Pitsunda region became Christian's religious and culturel centre. In the end of 8 th century when Bizans empire's power become less Abkhaz king Levan II united Abkhazia, Egrisi , Likhe under his crown named Abkhaz kingdom. Gradually Abkhaz kingdom reach wideness that includes today west Georgia. This state lasted 200 years. This tern lasted the date that Abkhaz king Bagrat III united the two states by pasing Georgian throne. Between the dates of 790-975 the whole Georgia was named "Abhazia" .
In the 13 th century the result of demolishing Selçuklu state Mongol got especially east and middle Georgia. Tiflis was destructed , Georgians who escaped from the Mongol savageness went to west. So state administration collapsed , the state was divided to Abkhaz and Georgia princedom how it was in the past time. In the 14 th century the prince of Mingrel Georgi Dadiani by cornering Cacbas to the north got Abkhazia's south earth today's Gal and Ocamcira. A small group of Abhaz and the people who lived between Abhazia and Wubıh went todays Cherkesk and Khabardey Lands. The people who stayed in the Abhazia Lands revolted against the Mingrelya sovereignty and clashed. At the beggining of XVI 'th. Century Ottomans intuduced Islam to Abhaz nation. Between 1500-1800, 300 years,
In 1980, is stopped the Ottoman severeignty in abkhazia by the attacks on the of Russian. In this term most of Abkhazia population accepted islam. From this time on the disputes of Russian and Abkhaz started. Abkhaz nation determined not to accept Czar Administration by the revolting. Circassina Russian wars that finished in 1864 brought lost of disasters to the Abhaz nation Chachba Hamid who in the abkhaz crown knew that that the dispute with stubbornness would destroy the nation. In sipeof this, he couldn't hinder suicide wars on 11-12 May 1864. The disaster became larger with Ottoman-Russian war and Abkhazia was the scene of the biggest population massacre of this history. The number of Abkhazs who live today in their country are 100,000 when take in to consideration that time Circassian in came from the abkhzia origin, the dimension of this tragic exile is very dear. In 1918, the first local administration in Abkhazia was founded. This administration which lasted forty days was done away with the ?menşevik??? Geargian attacks. After the new administration was founded, Eshba Efrem, Lakoba Nester, Platon Agiyashvili, N. Akirtaa, V.I. Lenin and J. Stalin who are the administrators of local military devolution comittee informed their decisions about Abkhazia to Lenin and Stalin and they wanted these three things that comprise their decisions:
- To declare that Abkhazia is a goverment in 1 st degree
- Abkhazia will take part in U.S.S.R.
- Abkhaz nation will harmonize to U.S.S.R. On 31 March 1921 free Abkhazia
Republic was founded. Georgia made republic that it knew free Abkhazia Republic on 21 May. But danger is waiting for these good improvements. 5 July 1921 Stalin and his men decided that Abkhazia has to be an autonomous republic and be in the borders og Georgia U.S.S.R. This interference of Stalin stated the hatred, he felt and couldn't hide to Abkhazia republic. This attitude caused the reaction of V.I.S.K. in spite of this resistance Abkhazia was connected to Georgian in 1922. In 1931 Abkhazia iz only settled tu Gerorgia U.S.S.R. Between 1937 -1953 Stalin and Beria put their pressure on Abkhazia. In this process there was a different application in the small republics which were parallel with Abkhazia. Abkhazia's demographic troubles became larger with the migration methods from each order that Beria and Stalin had. Abkhazia and Georgia which were always different with their language, culture, social life were like partners who got married by force. This difference between Abkhazia and Georgia is so clear and known. A newspaper name "Tiblisi Vestnik" stated that Abkhazs were so different from their neighbours with their social and economic life, world understanding. Until the 1870 Abkhazs constituted most of the population in the country. In 1926 there were 60 different ethnic group.
This diagram on the below shows that Georgian administration destroyed Abkhaz nation slowly.
| Abkhazians | 58,961 |
| Mingrellians | 3,414 |
| Georgians | 515 |
| Greeks | 2,056 |
| Russians | 972 |
| Ermenians | 1,337 |
| Estonians | 637 |
| Others | 1,460 |
Population in Abkhazia'da at 1896
The most clear and attractive matter in the diagram is that in 1986 while 515 Georgian were living in Abkhazia, in 1992 the population was 240,000, Since 1870 a group of Abkhaz exiled to ottoman lands and the empty lands are pillaged. Georgian, Russian, Armenian, German, Bulgarian, Azerbaijani with other matters and life began the appear. In 1877 according to the first population census registration, the population of Abkhazia was %53, but in 1929 it became less fifty fifty, the census which was made in 1979 Abkhazia population was % 17 Georgian population on the contrary increased. Going to west Georgia lands started in Czar administration term. Eliara documented that Georgian (menşevik????) made Abkhazia been Georgia by force. In 1926 Eliara said that ( in a Georgia S.I.K. organization) We were annihilate Abkhaz nation's justice and freedom. A nation's life turned in to a tragedy while stalin's force administration was in the administration. Hundreds of people from Abkhazia villages and were brought and killed. In this years the most selective people in Abkhazia were annihilated. These collected killings were a devastating for Abkhazia. During this time the language was forbidden. Its history, culture, national goverment conscious, local geographical names and Abkhaz alphabet were annihilated.
Between 1937 -1938 a new alphabet was prepared by getting Georgian alphabet foundation. The world of "Abkhazia" was taken out from correspondences. It was declared that everyone was Georgian. From 1937 to 1953 by force a lot of Abkhaz familiy from Georgia went to Abkhazia. After war years this application continued, Abkhaz schools were closed and Georgian schools were opened. In 1948 Stalin who came to Sohum Kale said that we, Georgian like a more than Abazins. T. Lakuba didn't understand this". With these words Stalin said that he killed Lakoba by pride for Lakoba didn't accept Georgianism.
Besides the forbidden of mother language, there were the dangers of being fined from party and goverment administration and having no business. The other ethnic groups are behaved like that and also Sohum which was a Abkhaz word was changed and it became Sukhumi.
The politica of making all the Ahbkhazia Georgia is finished in 1951. During this time the whole names of settlement have been changed. It had respondes and disquiet. So there was an alteration in the constitution and they wished to leave from Georgia. The Secretary of Georgian Central Communist Party Comitee, in an orgnization explanied that they would never do an argument about this trouble.
A concrete result wasn't taken from these improvements, so the ethnic groups in Abkhazia who weren't Georgian got into motion they marched and protested in Tiflis and other Georgia cities. They faces people Georgia.
In a newspaper whose name is Georgian literature, it wa said that Georgia musnt be anything except for Georgianism in Georgia. The people who aren't Georgian are Georgian. Georgian language maust be spoken, Georgian alphabet must be written. Everyone must be grown up by Georgian culture, must live with Georgian customs andtraditions. Or he is not a Georgian citizen.
It is necessary to increase the rights and freedom for developing in social-economic and cultural life. It can be done by reaching Abkhazia's old statues in 1921.
As if he had known everything in the beginning Efrem Eshba said that Abkhazia must be independent and a member of U.S.S.R. The only way of stopping these national enmity to develop brother heed between Abkhazia - Georgia. So it would be possible to reach a wanted end.
A general assembly was gathered 18 March 1989. Members of parliamento, scienistics, writers, artist and nation representatives of ethnic groups in Abkhazia joined to the assembly.
The decisions on the below were made decided.
Like it was declared when Lenin was living for establishing the republic again by taking up Abkhazia republic's statute by Communist Party U.S. Central Commite, council U.S.S., Council of Ministers.
For the eguality of U.S.S.R. nations, it was necessary to harmonize Lenin's thoughts to the goverment which had various special feature.
On 29 March 1989 the declaration was rejected by Gamza Khurdia party. There were disputes between Georgia-Abkhazia because of the decision about the Georgian Goverment univercity which will be founded in Sohumkale, In 15-16 July 1989 11 people died and 127 people were wounded. So Abkhazia believed that decleration of 18 March 1989 must be validity as soon as possible.
On 25 August 1990, 70 deputy voted for the statute that Abkhazia had before connecting Georgia. So Abkhzia made public that they wanted to be a sovereign Soviet republic. This decleration was informed with happiness that Abkhazia was a independent republic
Indepedence and new improvements
Abkhazia parliemento after independence made a decision to put in order the relations between Abkhazia and Georgia on 23 July 1993 and constitution is put away validity. Abkhazia parliemento explanied it like that:
- the constitution of Abkhazia autonomous U.S.S.R in 1978 was invalid
- the constitution of 1925 will be in validity until a new constitution will be accepted. Legislation, adjudication and execution will be the same.
SITUATION AFTER THE WAR
As we know, there was a war between Abkhazia - Georgia, after this war Abkhazia declared its indepedence.
The problems that Abkhazia hadn't been solved. To arrange its problems about economy and law. To determine its political statute and helps that international organizations could to, the interviews continued, so today Abkhazia is in a serious economic debris.
Abkhazia Republic was deprived of its rights and freedom, was forced to have peace by leaving them hungry. But these events didn't accelerate, on the contrary caused to get longer. Also, if a peace was made under these diffucult conditions it could not be permanent and just.
Besides this tribes, it is useful to underline several points about the parliamento elections that will be desided to do on 23 November 1996.
United Nations on 22 October 1996 declared that the elections mustn't be done, it can be harmful to peace. Abhkazia republic its thoughts directed to this anxiety to United Nation.
Abkhazia and Georgia have had no actual and legal connections since 4 September 1994. Now Abkhazia is known to be a republic to interfere Abkhazia's legal existence. In fact Geargia had had no autory about parliamento elections when Abkhazia was a Automoted Republic.
Parliemanto elections that will be made in Abkhazia Republic, is democratic that gives the ethnic groups to live in abkhazia with equal rights. Besides these ethnic groups, refugees who returned to Gal and people who left Abkhazia and returned, had the same rights.
On the other hand, to the determined Abkhazia republic statute and to form its legal constitution is a subject that must be determined by Abkhaz Nation. So it isn't necessary to present it to security council.
Today to disturb the stuation in Gal provacations is done by broadcasting with radio and TV. but there is no unjust actions to refugees in Abhkazia so we are demanding that right equalance to big and small nations that was written in United Nation regulations. Our wish is that both United Nations members and Russian must be act direction to these principle to make peace.
Besides that, continueing these unjust embargo can caused to serious and important results to Turkish Republic. Because firstly Turkiye is a areal country and has profits on Caucasia and also there are same matterial and spiritual connectioan between Abkhazia Nations and Turkish Republic. Seven million people who are Turkish Republic citizen and have Circassian origin are very sensible stuation because of these unjustly events and embargo. If it continious like that, maybe it will not be possible to prevent the events. So the peace in Caucasia is concerned with Turkis Republic's benefit.
We belive that it is not possible to reach a peace with Abkhaz Nation by imposing embargo to them by force and by restricting its rights and freedom. It is necessary that it must be known by Georgia. Of course, the same behaviour must be showed to other nations.
In conclution, Caucasia and especially Abkhazia which have nature that isnt dirty and with its ethnic and cultural specials which is one of the exceptional countries in the world must be guarrantied its law and human rights and peace must be reached. Throughout the history,for their freedom, for their life Abkhaz Nation have fought agains the unjusty. We call out to public conscience for to live with freedom and to reach the comfort and we say " stop " to embargo in Abhkazia.
Osman SAHIN, 1998 Konya
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