'Gradual approach' for Meskhetians

Georgia will honour its commitments to the Council of Europe, including for the return of Meskhetian Turks deported from Georgia to their homeland, Georgia's Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said at a press conference in Novosti news agency today.

Georgia has "moral obligations to Meskhetian Turks," Zourabichvili said. "These people were unjustly deported and we must provide them with an opportunity to return to their native parts," she emphasized.

However, the foreign minister believes "we all should understand Georgia has 300,000 refugees and displaced persons, there are certain social and economic conditions," and, therefore, "this issue should not be expected to be settled at once."

"There is a need for a gradual approach, but this does not change Georgia's obligations to Meskhetian Turks," Zourabichvili emphasized.

Meskhetian Turks were deported from Georgia to Central Asia in 1944. Several thousands of them later moved to the Krasnodar territory, Russia, intending to return to their historic homeland from there.

The issue of their return to Georgia was raised in 1999 during Georgia's accession to the Council of Europe. The country then undertook an international commitment to accept Meskhetian Turks before 2015.

• Meskhetians vote for homeland

More about Meskhetian Turks:

• Monitoring of the Condition of Ethnic Minorities in the Krasnodar Territory. Autumn 2003/Winter 2003-04
• The Condition of Meskhetian Turks in the Krasnodar Territory and the Territorial Government Migration Policy
• The condition of Meskhetian Turks in the Krasnodar Territory, February 2004
• The Condition of Meskhetian Turks in the Krasnodar Territory, January 2004
• The Condition of Meskhetian Turks in the Krasnodar Territory, November 2003
• Yusuf Sarvarov and Meskhetian Turks' movement for return to homeland