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HASAN KANBOLAT
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Circassians
in their 150th year: the present and the future
The Federation of Caucasian Associations (KAFFED) organized a
comprehensive conference titled "Circassians in their 150th year:
the present and the future" in Ankara between Dec. 13-14, with
the attendance of 48 speakers. The topics discussed in the
conference included the Ukrainian crisis, which has started to
affect Turkey and the North Caucasus, Russia's increasing
isolation and the priority it is giving to security policies and
the change in Russia's North Caucasus policy and its moves to
restrict the sovereignty of Abkhazia.
The Ukrainian crisis wasn't discussed much and it failed to make
a big agenda item. However, it is the most important crisis that
has occurred between the West and Russia since the end of the
Cold War. This political crisis is evolving into a comprehensive
crisis with economic and military aspects. It is deepening and
there is no sign of abatement. This crisis is also a new
development for Russia. As the West otherizes Russia, Russia
imposes self-isolation and becomes more and more centralized.
The Western-Russian crisis is now starting to affect the
South Caucasus as well. Baku holds Russia responsible for the
rekindling of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue between Azerbaijan and
Armenia. It believes that Russia is trying to exert pressure on
Azerbaijan using the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. In Georgia, pro-European
Union ministers were forced to resign. Armenia is being
pressured to become a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
With an agreement made between Russia and the government of
Abkhazia, the sovereignty of Abkhazia has been restricted. This
was a real shock to people in Abkhazia. Abkhaz intellectuals and
politicians have opted not to raise objections to this agreement,
fearing their opposition might endanger the country's
independence and stability.
Abkhazia is boiling inside. If the Abkhaz people do not raise
an objection to this restriction, their silence is nothing but
despair. The situation in South Ossetia is even worse. Having
restricted Abkhazia's sovereignty, Russia is preparing to
swallow South Ossetia like Crimea. Russia's federal structure is
being undermined. The political rights the Russian Federation's
nations had inherited from the era of the Soviet Union are being
pruned. A legal infrastructure is being created to allow the
Kremlin increased clout over the North Caucasus. This signals
the beginning of a new era in Russia. This era is characterized
by increased power in the center, the prioritization of security
policies and the creation of domestic and external enemies. If
Russia is faced with a serious economic crisis, this will
persuade the Kremlin to restrict its resource transfers to
federal republics in the North Caucasus. This, in turn, may
bring about the economic and political instability of the North
Caucasus.
In this era, nations will be required to choose sides as
during World War I, World War II and the Cold War. Depending on
the side they choose, their fate will be determined. With the
West's political and economic pressure on the Russian Federation
mounting and its military pressure about to kick off, does
Turkey have any chance of saying "I am not in this game"? What
would Turkey win or lose if it plays the game?
KAYNAK : http://www.todayszaman.com/
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