K. WAKIZAKA METU 2019 LIVING AS “NORTH CAUCASIANS” IN GEORGIA: IDENTITY AND INTEGRATION IN GEORGIA AMONG THE OSSETIAN AND THE CHECHEN-KIST COMMUNITIES KEISUKE WAKIZAKA MAY 2019 LIVING AS “NORTH CAUCASIANS” IN GEORGIA: IDENTITY AND INTEGRATION IN GEORGIA AMONG THE OSSETIAN AND THE CHECHEN- KIST COMMUNITIES A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY KEISUKE WAKIZAKA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF AREA STUDIES MAY 2019 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Tülin Gençöz Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Assist. Prof. Dr. Derya Göçer Akder Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Işık Kuşçu Bonnenfant Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Pınar Köksal (METU, ADM) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Işık Kuşçu Bonnenfant (METU, IR) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zana Çıtak Aytürk (METU, IR) Prof. Dr. Toğrul İsmayıl (Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Uni., SBUİB) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Asker (Karabük Uni., ULS) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name : KEISUKE WAKIZAKA Signature : iii ABSTRACT LIVING AS “NORTH CAUCASIANS” IN GEORGIA: IDENTITY AND INTEGRATION IN GEORGIA AMONG THE OSSETIAN AND THE CHECHEN- KIST COMMUNITIES Wakizaka, Keisuke Ph.D., Department of Area Studies Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Işık Kuşçu Bonnenfant May 2019, 390 pages This dissertation aims to contribute to Rogers Brubaker’s “diaspora-homeland-host state relations” theory by analyzing the cases in which diaspora’s homelands are de facto independent states and deal with the identity strategies of Ossetians and Chechen-Kists in Georgia. The fieldworks conducted in Georgia proved these facts: Georgia’s Ossetians are developing their identity in the framework of the Georgian state and do not act with South Ossetia on the topics of preserving boundaries with the Georgian society and their relations with North and South Ossetia. Thus, their identity is developing as a “cultural diaspora”, whose identity is mainly based on Ossetian language, culture, and tradition. On the other hand, the political issues such as anti-Russian attitude, the two Chechen Wars and the Chechen-Ingush Deportation/Genocide in 1944 as well as Chechen culture and traditions play an iv important role in Georgia’s Chechen-Kists’ identity. Besides, the fact that the Georgian state, Chechens in Chechnya and Georgia’s Chechen-Kists share anti- Russian attitude caused Georgia’s Chechen-Kists’ identity to develop as “cultural- political diaspora identity”. Keywords: diaspora-homeland-host state relations, Georgia, Ossetians, Chechen- Kists, identity v ÖZ GÜRCİSTAN’DA “KUZEY KAFKASYALI” OLARAK YAŞAMAK: GÜRCİSTAN’DAKİ OSET VE ÇEÇEN-KİST TOPLULUKLARINDA KİMLİK VE GÜRCİSTAN’A ENTEGRASYON Wakizaka, Keisuke Doktora, Bölge Çalışmaları Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Doç Dr. Işık Kuşçu Bonnenfant Mayıs 2019, 390 sayfa Bu tez, diasporanın anayurtlarının de facto devleti olduğu durumunu inceleyerek Rogers Brubaker’in ortaya koyduğu “diaspora-anayurt-konuk eden ülke ilişkileri” teorisine katkı sağlamayı amaçlamakta ve Gürcistan’daki Osetler ve Çeçen-Kistlerin kimlik stratejilerini ele almaktadır. Gürcistan’da gerçekleştirilen saha araştırmaları sonucunda şunlar tespit edilmiştir: hem Gürcüler ve Osetler arasındaki kültürel sınırları konusunda hem de anayurtle ilişkiler konusunda Gürcistan’daki Osetler Gürcistan devleti çerçevesi içinde kendi kimliğini geliştirmeye çalışmakta ve Güney Osetya’nın yanında yer almamaktadır. Böylece onlar kendi kimliğini ağırlıklı olarak Osetçe, Oset kültürü ve geleneklerine dayanan “kültürel diaspora kimliği” olarak geliştirmeye yönelmektedir. Diğer yandan, Gücistan’daki Çeçen-Kistlere baktığımızda, kültür ve adetlerin yanı sıra Rusya karşıtlığı, iki Çeçen Savaşı ve 1994 vi yılı Çeçen-İnguş Sürgünü gibi siyasi meseleler kendi kimliğinde önemli rol oynamaktadır. Ayrıca hem Gürcistan’ın hem Çeçenistan’daki Çeçenlerin hem de Gürcistan’daki Çeçen-Kistlerin Rusya karşıtlığını benimsemeleri de Gürcistan Çeçen-Kistlerin kimliğinin “kültürel-siyasi diaspora kimliği” olarak gelişmesine yol açmaktadır. Anahtar kelimeler: Diaspora-anayurt-konuk eden ülke ilişkileri, Gürcistan, Osetler, Çeçen-Kistler, kimlik vii To Our Dear Comrade Yalkhoroy Umar Idigov, who devoted himself to the Peace, Rights, and Freedom of all the North Caucasian People… viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While I prepare this dissertation, many people supported and encouraged my work. I would like to deeply thank those who, while this work continued, provided me with both spiritual and financial support on several levels. I owe my gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Işık Kuşçu. It was her support, advice, and patience that enabled me to complete this dissertation. During the process of research and writing of the thesis, she was always positive and supported me actively. Without her support and advice, I could not have completed this dissertation. It is my pleasure to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Oktay. Since my course work period, his work has inspired me and since the time I began to prepare this dissertation, he provided me with a lot of support and hope.I was very lucky to work with him. He taught me critical thought and encouraged me simultaneously. Besides, he supported me financially at a certain level and made my work more comfortable. I would also like to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr.Ali Asker for believing in this work and preparing an important article about the situation of Pankisi Gorge. His work and support contributed very much to my research. I also would like to thank Prof. Dr. Pınar Köksal and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zana Çıtak for their suggestions and critical feedbacks. I would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Toğrul İsmayıl for new perspectives and motivating me constantly. I would also like to thank my colleagues in the Department of Area Studies at Middle East Technical University for tolerating inconveniences related to this dissertation. I am also obliged to the Area Studies Doctorate Program at Middle East Technical University which provided me with theoretical education, appropriate working environment and academic freedom which encouraged me to learn. ix I would also like to thank Ossetian and Chechen-Kist people in Georgia, especially Nazi Dakishvili, Makka Khangoshvili, Melsi Bagakashvili, Gia Pliev, Mariam Dzagoeva, Eduard Dzhioev and Lali Vaneeva for all kinds of support as well as comprehensive information during my research for this dissertation. After discovering their existence with my close research topics, I did not feel lonely in Georgia. Furthermore, I would like to thank to Yusuf Aliyev, Resul Suleymanov, Zaur Ismayılov, Musa Haciyev, Rustem Mazanov, Rauf Hüseyinov, Veli Ibrahimov, Suleyman Karakov and Qurban Qurbanov for physical and academic support such as interpretation, accommodation, and meals. I would also like to thank Giorgi Asatiani and Zaida Khutsishvili for translating some parts of my interview. Besides, I would also like to thank Assist. Prof. Dr. Kubilay Atık for redacting and editing my thesis. Finally, I would also like to thank my dear friends whose friendships are one of the most special and important things in my life: Çağatay Balcı, Aslanbek Abuev, Ufuk Cerrah, Ali Çelik, Yelkan Kemal Sarıer, Ömer Gök, Zehra Burcu Ağdan, Zeynep Deniz Altınsoy, Ömür Çelikdönmez, Musa Özturk and Karim Asgari. While this dissertation was being written, their friendships and support had always existed for me. x TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM………………………………………………………………….…....iii ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………iv ÖZ…………………………………………………………………………….…...…vi DEDICATION…………...………………………………………………………...viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………….. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………….xi LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………...xvi LIST OF MAPS………………………………………………………………...….xvii LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS....................................................................................xviii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………...……………..xx CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1-1. Research Question…………………………………….………...………....1 1-2. The Significance of the Study……………………………………….....….5 1-3. Research Methodology…………………………..…….………………....14 1-4. Plan of the Dissertation………...………………………………...............16 2. DIASPORA STUDIES: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2-1. The Development of the Arguments on the Definition of Diaspora……..22 2-2. The Hybridity of Diaspora Identity………………………………….…..35 2-3. “Diaspora”-“Host Country”-“Homeland” Relations and the Example xi of Russian Communities in the Post-Soviet Area…….....................................39 2-4. The Different Process in Diaspora-“Host Country”-“Homeland” Relations and Minority Issue: the Cases of South Ossetia and Chechnya…...46 2-4-1. South Ossetia…………………………………………………47 2-4-2. Chechnya……………………………………………………..53 3. OSSETIANS AND CHECHEN-KISTS IN GEORGIA: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 3-1. Ossetians……………………………………..……................................60 3-1-1. The Formation of Ossetian Communities in Georgia…..…….60 3-1-2.Ossetians’ Settlements in Georgia Today……………………..64 3-1-3.Current