Refugees from Chechnya living in Turkey fear for their lives

The Chechen refugees now living in Turkey, among whom there are members of the Chechen separatist wing, are visiting by envoys of the current Chechen authorities, in particular, Shaa Turlaev, a former fighter and now Kadyrov's adviser, who force them to return to Chechnya, reports the European journalist Mark Broad. The information about such visits was confirmed by one of the refugees living in Turkey, who asked to call him Ruslan for the reasons of personal safety. According to his story, the authorities of Turkey refuse to investigate murders of Chechen refugees.

Ruslan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that over the past two years, visits of former compatriots to the Chechen refugees living in Turkey became more frequent. On February 28, visitors came to the house of the former Chechen MP Doku Amagov.

They asked Amagov about what he was doing in Turkey and why did not return to Chechnya. "They told Doku that he had nothing to fear," said Ruslan. "Amagov replied that he is already over fifty and stopped fearing." The visitors told Doku that he was needed in Chechnya and asked him to think about their proposal.

Ruslan noted that there were no direct threats from the visitors. However, Doku Amagov told him that he "felt hidden threat emanating from them, but did not reveal it." "The emphasis in the conversation was such: if I don't think about returning to Chechnya now, tomorrow it may be too late," Ruslan quoted Amagov as saying.

Ruslan is sure that these official and unofficial visits of "Chechen emissaries" are secretly supported by the Turkish authorities. "A few years ago visitors of this level came here only when accompanied by security agents," said the source. "This time they came to the camp of Chechen refugees, located in Umraniye, without any guards, that is, feeling that all the ways are open for them here."

"It looks like the Turkish authorities are not willing to guarantee safety to the Chechen refugees, who live in their country for long," wrote journalist Mark Broad, in his information report "Chechen separatists in Turkey are the target and the object for threats of Kadyrov's criminals".

The journalist is surprised, noting that the Turkish government had committed itself, at least, to protect those refugees whom it had invited and who had been allowed to settle in the country.

The Chechen refugees in Turkey got into a political trap, Ruslan is convinced: "We have neither citizenship nor refugee status - they just call us 'guests' here. In this context, the Turkish authorities give no guarantee of personal safety to us; and they don't want to."

Ruslan gives three resonant murders committed in refugee camps as "bright examples of indifference of Turkish authorities to the fate of Chechen refugees." "One man, whose name was Ali-Hadji, was shot dead by a sniper - the bullet hit the fifty-year-old refugee, who lived with his family in the Fenerbahce camp, right in the forehead. The second case was with two shots in the temple of refugee Musa, whom relatives also called Massol. The third incident took place near the camp in Umraniye, in a small village. A refugee was shot dead straight at the entrance of his house in his wife's eyes," said Ruslan.

He recalled that after a similar case in Austria - assassination of Umar Israilov - the local Interior Minister resigned.

"Here, this will never happen: in Turkey, there resonant murders were committed: no investigation by the authorities; they referred to the fact that these were some 'financial showdown'," said Ruslan.

In his turn, Mark Broad wrote: "After Vienna and other European countries (Poland and Belgium, but to a lesser extent), Istanbul became the main target of those Kadyrov's messengers, whose main task is to make members of the Chechen Diaspora - if necessary, by force - to return to their homeland."

"I never go outside this camp," said Ruslan. "My acquaintances Turks are surprised by this. But why are they surprised? This country gives no security to people."

Let us note here that so far the Chechen party, in particular Shaa Turlaev, have given no comment. Also, there are no comments from the official Istanbul.