Thank you, Madam co-chairperson. I am representing Abkhazians in Turkey on behalf of the
Istanbul Caucasus Culture Association.
Firstly, I would like to emphasize that Abkhazians1 in Turkey have been living in harmony
with ethnic groups in Turkey since the establishment of the Republic. It is worth noting that
Abkhazians have been employed in both the public and private sectors without facing any
negative discrimination, ıncludıng high-ranking positions in government and have been
Currently, elective Abkhaz language courses are offered in schools under the Ministry of
National Education. While these positive practices are valuable, they do not imply that
Abkhazians in Turkey have no issues in relation to realising their rights.
In this context, the historical and humanitarian ties of Abkhazians in Turkey with their
ancestral homeland, Abkhazia, are disrupted due to the existing political crisis.2 The
transportation to Abkhazia, can only be carried out through the Russian Federatıon but not
by Turkey, making it nearly impossible due to visa requirements and high transportation
costs. As a result Abkhazians in Turkey, are unable to reach their relatives maintain their
kinship and build and sustain economic relationships and cultural ties integral to their
identity. Furthermore, there is a significant problem concerning the recognition of
documents of Abkhazia. Many Abkhazians in Turkey have been unable to register their newborns, unable to attend the funerals of their relatives, or have lost their right to education.
This is a serious barrier for social inclusion for Abkhazians in Turkey.
I outline my suggestions for the resolution of the issues faced by Abkhazians in Turkey as
follows:
Reinstate the previously existing ferry services between Trabzon and Sukhum to facilitate
travel between Turkey and Abkhazia.
Restart the mobile consular services that were previously implemented in Abkhazia for the
documents related to birth, death, marriage, and education.
I hope these suggestions contribute to addressing the challenges faced by Abkhazians in
Turkey. Thank you.
1
Abkhazians are one of the indigenous people of the Caucasus. Following the Ottoman-Russian Wars, they
exiled to the Turkish territory in the late 1800s along with the other Caucassus communities.
2
Abkhazian-Georgian War in 1992-1993 after the collapse of Soviet Union. Abkhazia is still a frozen conflict
area.