Human rights activists criticize Interior Ministry's stance concerning state of Meskhetian Turks

"The problem of Meskhetian Turks no longer exists in Krasnodar Territory as the Law on Citizenship has been passed," Russian Deputy Interior Minister Colonel-General Aleksandr Chekalin declared during his recent visit to Krasnodar Territory. As of 1 January 2004, 15 thousand Meskhetian Turks are registered in Krasnodar Territory, about 4 thousand of them have already received Russian citizenship, 2.8 thousand people have submitted their applications, and the others simply do not display "activity".

Tamara Karasteleva, an activist of the "School of Peace" human rights fund, Novorossiysk, comments on the stance of the Russian Deputy Interior Minister:

- This problem really does not exist for the Interior Ministry and regional administration. They are deaf and blind to the breaches that happen in the region regularly. The last example of such a kind: three Meskhetian Turks working in a bakery were assaulted by a group of 10-12 rogues in Abinsk on January 16. The attackers savagely beat them. One of the victims was taken to hospital with brain concussion and a fracture of the bridge - the attackers hit him in the face with a brick. But the local police have failed to catch the hooligans. As for the insufficient activity when registering Russian citizenship, the lawyers of our organization try to prove through the court the fact that these very people who strive for Russian citizenship "not actively enough" have been living in the region since 1989. And they do it without success. Meanwhile, these people can register neither a marriage not a child's birth. They are doomed to live under reservation conditions in fact!

Editors note: See also the article "Some 4 thousand Meskhetian Turks received Russian citizenship".