In 1998 Georgia, the legal successor of the Georgian SSR,
adopted the Law “Concerning recognition of Georgian citizens
as victims of political repression...”, which does not apply to
peoples deported from its territory and living, at the time of the
collapse of the USSR, outside Georgia. The Ahiska Turks have
not been deported from their territories in the other eight
countries. Therefore, these countries’ laws concerning
rehabilitation do not apply to us.
This means that the Ahiska Turks are the only people in the
post-Soviet era who have not yet been rehabilitated and
returned to their historical homeland.
On this basis, we believe that democratic Georgia is obliged to
adopt a law on the rehabilitation of peoples living outside
Georgia and deported from its territory. This will allow us to
find our homeland again and play a part in the economic
recovery and prosperity of democratic Georgia.
We offer Georgia:
1. Extension of the Repatriation Law to include an
indefinite period.
2. Amendment of the Repatriation Law to take account of
reasonable, realistic procedures and conditions for return.
3. Adoption of a Georgian law “Concerning
rehabilitation of deported Georgia peoples still outside
its borders.”