More than five thousand people were killed during a year of clashes between governmental and anti-government forces in Syria. For the normalization of the situation, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Russia initiated negotiations between the Syrian authorities and the opposition in Moscow. Russian top officials think that the meeting will enable the conflict sides to discuss any issues of the national agenda without any limits, including preparation of the inter-Syrian dialogue under the LAS management. The authorities of Syria responded positively, the opposition didn’t. Washington treated the Russian proposal skeptically either.
It is obvious that Moscow has to take diplomatic efforts for normalization of the situation in Syria not only because of geopolitical interests, but also humanitarian. Syria takes the first place among the Middle East countries, according to number of Russian-speaking people. There 30 thousand alumni of Soviet and Russian universities live in Syria. Among 10 thousand Russian women, who married Syrian men, live in Syria. Moreover, there is a large Circassian Diaspora in Syria. Of course, ancestors of most of them migrated to the Middle East 150 years ago, but in Syria not only Circassians are included to the Curcassian Diaspora, but also other Caucasian peoples – Ossetians, Abkhazians and Vainakhs.
Since the end of 2011 Syrian Circassians address to the Russian authorities, for Moscow “saves them from inevitable tragedy” and provides support in movement to the historic motherland. The International Circassian Association asked the authorities of Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia to urge the federal bodies to form a governmental committee with participation of representatives of these republics on research of the Circassian Diaspora situation in Syria and repatriation.
Circassians are thinking about repatriation for 50 years, especially since the early 1990s. However, only Kosovo Circassians were managed to come back. Now Syria undergoes war, and there are much more Circassians than in Kosovo. The fact, that Moscow is not eager to make a decision on huge repatriation of Syrian Circassians, is considered by some experts as concerns about the Islamic factor by Russia. However, experts of Natpress think that Syrian Circassians could be a cure of religious radicalism of the Circassian society of the Russian Western Caucasus.
The second reason for concern about repatriation is the notorious Circassian issue, which is permanently raised by anti-Russian Circassian organizations. The situation heated after Georgia had recognized genocide of the Circassian peoples. The resolution of the Georgian government urges the international society to recognize the right for repatriation of millions of Circassians living all around the world. Nobody hides that pressure on Moscow is put ahead of the Olympic Games in Sochi. Representatives of radical Circassian organizations state that the Games cannot be carried out in the territory, where Circassians suffered genocide, especially when the demographic and cultural disaster is not recognized. Nevertheless, most of experts think that the Circassian issue cannot prevent the Games in Sochi: the Olympic Games will be held anyway, another question is what information background it will have.
After the negative scenario began to develop in Syria, the issue of returning successors of Makhadzhirs occurred in Abkhazia. Sukhumi understands that repatriates could improve the sad demographic situation, at the same time, Abkhazia is afraid of Islamization.
In Russia the work in this direction is being provided at the regional level: in Kabardino-Balkaria was formed a working group on support of repatriation of Circassians from Syria under the governmental commission on development of ties with compatriots; in Karachay-Cherkessia such committee was established by Circassian social organizations; in Adygea the session of the Circassian peoples is being prepared, it is planned on February 11th, where the situation around Syrian Circassians will be discussed.
Ekaterina Tesemnikova exclusively to VK
