International Circassian Association
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The International Circassian Association (ICA) (; ; ; ) is the umbrella organization that represents all Circassian institutions around the world. In various Circassian communities, there are local Circassian associations, known as "Adyghe Khase". The aim of these associations is to provide a comfortable environment where Circassians can speak the
Circassian language Circassian (; ), also known as Cherkess ( ), is a subdivision of the Northwest Caucasian language family, spoken by the Circassian people. There are two main variants of the Circassian language, defined by their literary standards, Adyghe (; a ...
, participate in cultural activities, and learn the principles of the Khabze code. These associations operate on local and regional levels, and communicate internationally through the International Circassian Association. KAFFED, which is the umbrella organization of
Circassians in Turkey Circassians in Turkey refers to people born in or residing in Turkey that are of Circassian origin. The Circassians are one of the largest ethnic minorities in Turkey, with a population estimated to be two million, or according to the EU rep ...
, is a founding member of the International Circassian Association and remains a member. Despite discussions in 2022 among KAFFED regarding KAFFED’s potential withdrawal from the ICS, it remains as a member.


Aims

The aims of the organization are as follows: * To support the revival and development of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Circassian people, and to preserve their national identity. * To unite the efforts of Circassian public organizations that contribute to restoring the true history of the Circassians and to coordinate their activities. * To assist in solving economic, social, cultural, and religious issues. * To help create the necessary conditions for the unification of the Circassians and beyond. * To promote peace, friendship, and harmony among peoples. * To prevent social, national, and other types of conflict.


Ideological views and attitudes

The organization advocates
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
's independence. "We are absolutely dissatisfied with the policy of the current leadership of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
towards Abkhazia," its head Kasbolat Dzamikhov said in 2006. In August 2008, during the Five Day War in
South Ossetia South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania, is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus with International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, partial diplomatic recognition. It has an offici ...
, the association issued a statement condemning the actions of the Georgian leadership in response to the conduct of Georgian armed forces. The statement declared: "The Georgian authorities, driven by political ambitions placed above the value of human life and the interests of their own people, are acting with recklessness and are cynically violating all previously established international agreements." Blaming the Georgian government, the organization noted: "The tragic events in South Ossetia, provoked by Georgia’s open armed assault on civilians and a contingent of Russian peacekeepers—resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people and the destruction of numerous towns and villages—have caused deep outrage." It further stated: "The blood of innocent civilians and peacekeepers is on the conscience of the Georgian leadership and the armed formations they command." According to the association, "the leadership of the Republic of Georgia is starting a bloody war for the second time and once again dragging the Georgian people into a tragic situation, pitting them against all the peoples of the Caucasus."


Activities


Language and culture

The ICA, while in cooperation with KAFFED, organizes annual Circassian language courses.


Foreign citizens commission

The ICA has established a special commission to address the potential deportation of Circassians from various parts of the world. This commission works in collaboration with state institutions.


2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes

Following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, the ICA sent a delegation to Turkey. The delegation visited the earthquake-affected areas, received briefings from local authorities, and met with Circassian associations in the region. After the visit, ICA President Hauti Sohrokov stated that aid campaigns were being organized in the Caucasus.


Member organisations


History


Diaspora


The Formation of Circassian Associations

Before the end of the
Russo-Circassian War The Russo-Circassian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Circassia, was the 101-year-long invasion of Circassia by the Russian Empire. The conflict started in 1763 ( O.S.) with Russia assuming authority in Circassia, followed by Circa ...
in 1864, the remaining Circassian population began to be deported as part of the
Circassian genocide The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the systematic mass killing, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement of between 95% and 97% of the Circassian people during the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia in the 19th centur ...
. Estimates, including those based on archival figures from the Russian Government, suggest that 95–97% of the Circassian nation either perished or exiled during this process. The displaced people were primarily resettled in the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. Circassians in the Ottoman Empire initially kept to themselves and did not tolerate any external influence. A new generation of Circassian intellectuals took an active role in the Ottoman state, holding high positions. Circassians were a large part of influential organizations such as the Special Organization, the Hamidiye Regiments, and the
Committee of Union and Progress The Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress (CUP, also translated as the Society of Union and Progress; , French language, French: ''Union et Progrès'') was a revolutionary group, secret society, and political party, active between 1889 and 1926 ...
. Circassians in Ottoman Empire adopted their Caucasian identity while at the same time maintaining their primary Ottoman-Muslim identity. Circassian cultural activities began in the Ottoman state after the
Young Turk Revolution The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908; ) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. Revolutionaries belonging to the Internal Committee of Union and Progress, an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II ...
. Political societies such as the ''Northern Caucasus Society'' and the ''Caucasus Independence Committee'', both of which aimed for the independence of
Circassia Circassia ( ), also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in . It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during ...
and were supported by the Committee of Union and Progress were also founded.Besleney, Zeynel Abidin: The Circassian Diaspora in Turkey. Political History, New York 2014, pp. 58-60. The most important of these societies, the Circassian Union and Mutual Aid Society, was founded in 1908. With the ban on minority societies in 1923, these societies were closed. Outside the borders of Turkey, Circassians continued to form associations in other former Ottoman territories. In 1928, the ''Circassian Education and Cooperation Association'' was established in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
. In October 1932, the ''Circassian Charity Organization'' was founded in
Amman Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...
. In Turkey, the formation of associations resumed in the 1960s and 1970s, as Circassians who moved from villages to cities established new organizations. The Ankara Circassian Association was founded in 1961 during this period.


The Unification of Circassian Associations in Turkey

Efforts to unite Circassian-Caucasian Associations in Turkey under a central organization began with a meeting held in Ankara in 1975. This was followed by meetings in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
,
Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...
, and in
Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
. On November 5, 1977, after one of these meetings, Circassians waiting at a bus stop were subjected to an armed attack, resulting in the death of one person. As a consequence, the unification efforts were temporarily halted. From the second half of the 1980s, the associations resumed their activities, and the meetings that had been interrupted in 1977 restarted in the early 1990s. On July 3, 2003, KAFFED was established with the aim of uniting all Circassian associations in Turkey.


Caucasus


The Formation of Circassian Associations

The
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
Government cut off and banned contacts and other connections between the Circassians of the North Caucasus and the
Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
. Returns of foreign Circassians and visits to their historical homeland were denied. The emergence of a bipolar world, the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
, and the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...
policy were objective factors that separated the Diaspora from the Circassians in the USSR.{{Cite web , title=История МЧА (Official site of the International Circassian Association) , url=http://intercircass.org/?page_id=43 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026172927/http://intercircass.org/?page_id=43 , archive-date=2012-10-26 , access-date=2025-06-26 , language=ru-RU Since 1966, the «''Homeland''» association, which also has branches in the Caucasus, was established in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. Through this organization, relations between Soviet Circassians and Diaspora Circassians were initiated. Official delegations were sent, Diaspora Circassians began receiving Circassian books and magazines, and Circassian youth from Jordan, Turkey, and Syria had the opportunity to study at universities in
Kabardino-Balkaria Kabardino-Balkaria (), officially the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 904,200. Its capital is Nalchik. The area contains the highest mountain in ...
and
Adygea Adygea ( ), officially the Republic of Adygea or the Adygean Republic, is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is a part of the Southern Federal District, and covers an a ...
. Since 1989, active efforts began to establish the International Political and Cultural Association. The initiators of this organization were Fethi Rejeb in the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and Batıray Özbek in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. Between the 1980s and early 1990s, numerous social organizations and national movements emerged in Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea,
Karachay-Cherkessia Karachay-Cherkessia (), officially the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. It is administratively part of the North Caucasian Federal District. As of the 2021 census, Karachay-Cherkessia has a popul ...
,
Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and is administratively a part of the Southern Federal District. Its administrative center is the t ...
, Stavropol Krai, and
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
, with Adyghe Khase being one of the most prominent.


The Unification of International Circassian Associations

The first meeting was held in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
on May 4-5, 1990. The second meeting was held in
Nalchik Nalchik (, ; ; ) is the capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, situated at an altitude of in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains; about northwest of Beslan (Beslan is in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania). It covers an area of ...
on May 19-20, 1991. The congress was attended by delegates from Turkey, Syria, Jordan,
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
, Germany, the Netherlands,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and the
USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
, as well as delegates from Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Adygea, the Krasnodar region, and Abkhazia. The congress created the International Circassian Association.


References