Armenians in Samtskhe–Javakheti

Armenians in Samtskhe–Javakheti are ethnic Armenians of Georgian nationality living in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region of the Republic of Georgia. The southern part of the region (Javakheti) borders Armenia to the south. Here, ethnic Armenians form the great majority of the population with minorities of Georgians, Russians and Caucasus Greeks.[1] Among Armenians of Samtskhe–Javakheti, Armenian is the common language spoken.[2]

Armenians in Samtskhe–Javakheti
Total population
80,000
Regions with significant populations
Samtskhe–Javakheti
Languages
Armenian
Religion
80%Armenian Apostolic Church 20% Armenian Catholic Church
Related ethnic groups
Armenians in Georgia
Location of Samtskhe–Javakheti within Georgia

History

The region known to Armenians as Javakhk has long been tied to the Kingdom of Armenia with an Armenian presence there being recorded for millennia. Many of the Armenians in the region today immigrated from Erzurum Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire after the area became part of Russia in 1829 while most of the Muslims (Meskhetian Turks and Adjarians) in the region emigrated to the Ottoman Empire.[3][4][5] More Armenians came to region later on as a result of Turkish massacres and the Armenian genocide. Russian Empire driven policy aimed to settle the Christian Armenians at the border of the Ottoman Empire, since they were enjoying the status of a reliable ally in contrast to the Muslim population.[6]

Ethnic Armenians are chiefly concentrated in Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda districts. At the beginning of 1918 in Akhalkalaki region had 120,000 population, from which Armenians were 89,000 (74%), Meskhetian Turks were 8,000 (7%), representatives of other nationalities 23,000 (19%) [7] During this period in Ahalkalak district there were 111 villages from which 66 were Armenian, 24 Turkish, 9 Russian, 10 Georgian (including former Armenian villages Vargav and Hzabavra, the population of which had assimilated with Georgians), and one village with the Armenian-Georgian mixed population.

In 1944 the government of the Soviet Union exiled the Meskhetian Turkish population of Meskheti (approximately 100,000 person) to Central Asia (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan). The five villages of Sagamo, Khavet, Erindja, Davnia, and Karsep in the Akhalkalaki district and the Bogdanovka areas were settled by Armenians.

During Zviad Gamsakhurdia's presidency (1991), Javakheti remained de facto semi-independent and only in November 1991 the Tbilisi-appointed governor was able to take power.[8] The issue of Javakheti was in the 1990s "clearly been perceived as the most dangerous potential ethnic conflict in Georgia", however, no actual armed conflict ever occurred.[9]

An incident took place in Akhalkalaki district on 14 August 1998. The Georgian military units were to hold exercises with the Russians in Akhalkalaki, and the local Armenian population was not told about it. The Georgians units entered the Armenian-populated areas and met some 25 Armenians, who "believed that the Georgian army was coming to deport Armenians from their homes". The group of Armenians were armed and allegedly had mortars and other artillery. The Georgian units eventually left,[10] avoiding a possible clash with the armed men.[11][12] According to the Georgian national security ministry was the incident was a provocation organized by the Javakhk organization.[13]

Vahagn Chakhalyan, the leader of United Javakhk, was arrested in 2008. Chakhalyan was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in 2009 for "acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition, organizing a group action which grossly disrupted public order, hooliganism committed against a government representative."[14] Chakhalyan was released from prison in January 2013 under amnesty law after Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgia Dream coalition came to power in Georgia.[15][16]

Demographics

This table is a comparing table of Armenian population of Samtskhe–Javakheti in 1939, 1989, 2002, 2014.

District
1939[17]
1989[18]
2002[19]
2014[20]
Total Armenians Armenian % Total Armenians Armenian % Total Armenians Armenian % Total Armenians Armenian %
Akhalkalaki
64,655
54,081
83.6
62,977
57,209
90.8
60,975
57,516
94.3
45,070
41,870
92.9
Akhaltsikhe
55,490
16,454
29.7
50,430
25,753
51
46,134
16,879
36.6
42,394
12,028
28.4
Ninotsminda
34,575
27,376
79.2
32,064
27,090
84.5
34,305
32,857
95.8
24,491
23,262
95
Adigeni
41,314
942
2.3
19,598
1,627
8.3
20,753
698
3.4
16,462
372
2.3
Borjomi
37,437
3,946
10.5
32,422
3,124
9.6
25,214
2,176
8.6
Aspindza
32,644
1,741
5.3
11,265
2,068
18.4
13,010
2,273
17.5
10,372
1,381
13.3
TOTAL 306,401 116,266 37.9 220,772 126,418 57.3 228,487 124,831 54.6 160,504 81,089 50.5

Politics

Tensions in Samtskhe–Javakheti have run high at times. One reason is based in the official Georgian language policy that does, officially, not allow the Armenian language to be used in public or administrative offices, even if citizen and officer speak better Armenian than Georgian. International monitoring missions on the situation of national minorities in Georgia have critically commented in this aspect as recently as 2009.[21]

The ethnic Armenian United Javakhk Democratic Alliance calls on a local autonomy for Javakheti within Georgia.[22][23]

Some Armenian political groupings of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora, among them most notably the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) claim that Javakhk (Armenian name for Javakheti) should belong to Armenia,[24] United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sèvres as well as the regions of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Javakhk (Armenian name for Javakheti), and Nakhchivan.[25] However, Javakhk (Javakheti) is not officially claimed by the government of Armenia.

A small number of Turkish Meskhetians returned to Georgia in recent years.[26] With little employment opportunities in the region, the re-migration caused tensions with the local Armenian population. In consequence, the Georgian authorities preferred to settle returning Turkish Meskhetians in other areas in the country.[26]

The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline and South Caucasus gas pipeline [27]which passed through the region, has met opposition from local Armenians, as well as the planned Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway as it isolates Armenia.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. E. Cornell, Svante (2002). Autonomy and conflict: ethnoterritoriality and separatism in the South Caucasus : cases in Georgia. Dept. of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University. p. 137. ISBN 9789150616002.
  2. "European Yearbook of Minority Issues". European Centre for Minority Issues. 3: 316. 30 January 2005. ISBN 9004142800. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  3. Boeschoten, Hendrik; Rentzsch, Julian (2010). Turcology in Mainz. p. 142. ISBN 978-3-447-06113-1. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  4. Pro Georgia: journal of kartvelological studies, Issues 11-14, Uniwersytet Warszawski. Studium Europy Wschodniej.
  5. Caucasus region: geopolitical nexus? (2007), Aleksandro I. Kapidze, Nova Science Publishers.
  6. "ARMENIAN POPULATION IN GEORGIA" (PDF). UNA Georgia. 2003. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  7. National Archive of Armenian Republic F200 list 1
  8. Cornell 2002, p. 164: "The area remained effectively outside the control of Tbilisi for virtually the entire tenure of Gamsakhurdia."
  9. Cornell 2002, p. 196.
  10. Cornell 2001, p. 167.
  11. Peimani, Hooman (2008). Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 270–271. ISBN 9781598840544.
  12. Barnovi, Andro (2009). "Detailed Review on Samtskhe–Javakheti". Tbilisi, Georgia: Institute for Strategy and Development. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  13. "Violent Incident in Javakhk Averted". Asbarez. 14 August 1998. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  14. Ionesyan, Karine (22 September 2009). "Defending Chakhalyan: Tbilisi accused of "dragging out" appeal hearing in high-profile "Armenian activist" case". ArmeniaNow. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  15. "Georgia's President comments on release of Javakhk activist Vahagn Chakhalyan". Georgian Public Broadcaster. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  16. "Georgia: Armenian political prisoners Vahagn Chakhalyan released from prison". Minority Rights Newsroom. 24 January 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  17. (in Russian) ETHNO-CAUCASUS, НАСЕЛЕНИЕ КАВКАЗА, РЕСПУБЛИКА ГРУЗИЯ, НАСЕЛЕНИЕ ГРУЗИИ
  18. (in Armenian) Սամցխե-Ջավախքի բնակչության թվի և էթնիկական կազմի դինամիկան
  19. ETHNIC GROUPS BY MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL UNITS Archived November 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  20. "Population Census 2014". www.geostat.ge. National Statistics Office of Georgia. November 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  21. ACFC [Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities] (2009) Opinion on Georgia. Adopted on 19 March 2009 (ACFC/OP/I(2009)001)
  22. Harutyunyan, Arus (2009). Contesting national identities in an ethnically homogeneous state. Western Michigan University. p. 204. ISBN 9781109120127.
  23. Kernic, Franz (2006). European security in transition. Ashgate Publishing. p. 151. ISBN 9781409495581.
  24. Goals of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Archived December 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  25. "Programme of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation". Archived from the original on 2006-02-28. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  26. "166 CSCDG 05 E - MINORITIES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: FACTOR OF INSTABILITY". Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  27. THE SOUTH CAUCASUS AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD. Istanbul. 2016. p. 41.
  28. "Պաշտպանության բոլոր նախարարները [Armenia's Defence Ministers]". Slaq.am (in Armenian). 2 August 2012. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
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