North-Caucasian natives complain about pressure in Turkey

More than 30 families of political emigrants from the republics of Northern Caucasus have been detained in Turkey, Djokhar Dudaev's nephew among them, the Diaspora sources have reported worried about the pressure on the detainees. Turkish MPs have drawn attention to the problem, after which they began releasing the detainees, Ali Viskhadjiev, one of the leaders of the Chechen Diaspora in Turkey, has reported. Turkish authorities have treated the detention reports as disinformation.

As reported by Ali Viskhadjiev, who is also the head of the public organization "Kavkazder", some people were detained despite their valid residence permits; and their relatives were not informed about their whereabouts.

He has added that some detentions were conducted as part of the Turkish authorities' anti-terrorist operation.

Selcuk Ozdağ, an MP from the "Gelecek" (Future) Party, headed by Ahmet Davutoğlu, an ex-Prime Minister, called on parliament to prevent the deportation of Chechens and Uighurs, the "Voice of Turkey" has informed. The MP has noted that "this is a strategic region (Northern Caucasus), where our compatriots and fellow believers live."

The situation has not been resolved; dozens are being taken to deportation centres every day, the wife of a detainee from one of North-Caucasian Circassian republics has explained. Her husband was again taken to the deportation centre more than a month ago, when detentions of North-Caucasian political emigrants began.

The wife has reported her difficult financial and moral situation and noted that custody conditions at deportation centres failed to meet humanitarian requirements. "He was sleeping on the floor when they brought him to Malatya, a region affected by an earthquake, and they suffer from earth tremors periodically," she said.

In Turkey, problems arise not only among political emigrants from Northern Caucasus, but also among businessmen, investors, and ordinary tourists, said Ruslan, an ethnic Karachai, who purchased real estate in Istanbul and moved there to permanent residence. Earlier, Ruslan's brother, who had been to Turkey at least seven times, was not allowed into the country after they saw his American passport.