22 May 2018, 12:04
Russian MFA treats march of Circassians in Turkey as anti-Russian action (+video)
In the evening on May 21, in Istanbul, a march in memory of the victims of the Caucasian War was attended by about 3000 people. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) recommended Russian tourists to avoid walking in the centre of Istanbul on that day.
The Caucasian War, which lasted from 1763 to 1864, put Adygs (Circassians) on the brink of complete extinction. After the war and mass deportation to the Ottoman Empire, just a little more that 50,000 of them were left in their homeland. Circassian organizations insist that Russian authorities should declare Circassian genocide during the Caucasian War.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 21, prayer services and rallies in memory of the victims of the Caucasian War were held in Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Kuban.
In Istanbul, the march was started from the Galatasaray Lyceum in Istiklal Street, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.
According to organizers of the action, members of the Federation of Circassian organizations in Turkey, the event was attended by 3000 people.
The action is annual, and it involves members of all Caucasian Diasporas in Turkey. Let us remind you that on May 21, 2017, the action was attended by about 4000 members of the Caucasian Diasporas in Turkey. The mourning procession ended with the laying of a wreath with the inscription reading: "153 years of the Circassian genocide" to the walls of the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul.
This time, the protesters were not allowed to come close to the building of the Consulate General: the movement of the protest column was blocked in the middle of its way. Columns of people moving towards the Russian Consulate General were chanting slogans, including "Genocide is yours, memory is ours".
It should be noted that the day before, on May 20, the Situation and Crisis Centre of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released in its official Twitter channel a warning to Russian citizens, staying in Turkey, from visiting Istiklal Street and informing them of an anti-Russian demonstration planned there.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
Author: Magomed Tuayev Source: CK correspondent
