Circassian activists blame ICA leadership for split of Association

The decision of the Turkish Federation of Caucasian Associations (KAFFED – from the Turkish Kafkas Dernekleri Federasyonu) to suspend its membership in the International Circassian Association (ICA) was a result of a systemic crisis within the ICA, the leadership of which supports the attempts of Russian authorities to suppress the protest moods of the Circassian community, said the activists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". The head of the ICA has treated the decision of the KAFFED as prospectless.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Circassian community is discussing the prospects of a structure to be set up on the basis of the Confederation of Circassian Organizations (CherkesFED) and will be an alternative to the ICA.

In recent years, the ICA has been the credibility in the Circassian community; and the decision of the KAFFED has ripened for a long time, said Andzor Kabard, one of the founders of the public organization "Circassian Politiya".

His opinion is supported by Aslan Beshtoev, the head of the Circassian public organization "Kabardian Congress". The main criticism of the ICA is caused by the fact that the Association is increasingly becoming a conductor of ideas of Russian authorities, he said.

The President of the ICA Khauti Sokhrokov, in his turn, called the decision of the KAFFED an attempt to destabilize the situation inside the ICA.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.