The Circassian Diaspora in Turkey by Besleney, Zeynel;

Short description:

This book provides a detailed analysis of Circassian diaspora politics in Turkey including its historical evolution, its interaction with the politics of the host and home countries (Turkey and Russia), and its internal dynamics.

Long description:

A North Caucasian ethnic group that has been largely obscured in world history as a result of their expulsion from their homeland by Tsarist Russia in the 1860s, Circassians now comprise significant communities not only in the Northwest Caucasus but also in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Europe and the US. The Circassian Diaspora investigates how a community of impoverished migrants has evolved into a well-connected and politically active diaspora.

This book explores the prominent role Circassians played during the Turco-Greek War or the "Turkish National Liberation War of 1919-1922," and examines the changing nature of Circassians’ relations with the Turkish and Russian states, as well as the new actors of Caucasian politics such as the US, the EU, and Georgia.

Suggesting that the Circassian case should be studied alongside those of the Jews, Armenians and other diasporas whose formation is fundamentally tied up to a violent detachment from their homeland, and arguing that Circassian diaspora politics is not a post-Soviet phenomenon but has a history dating back to early 20^th Century, this book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of Diaspora Studies, History, and Politics.

Table of Contents:

Introduction 1 Locating Circassians in the Theory 2 Circassia and Circassians 3 History of Circassia and Circassians 4 Formation of Circassian Diaspora in Turkey 5 Ideologies and Formal Organisations in Circassian Diaspora 6 Informal Circassian Political Organisations in Turkey Conclusion