COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMISSIONER ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO MESKHET TURKS’ RETURN TO GEORGIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Feb 21 2007

AKHALKALAK, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Thomas
Hammerberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights,
summing up his visit paid to Georgia, reminded that Georgia must
solve the issue of Meskhet Turks’ return, Javakhk-Info states.

"Georgia, when joining the Council of Europe, undertook a clear
condition which relates to Mohammedan Meskhets. The Georgian Government
promised that Meskhets, who were expeled from Georgia in 40s of the
20th century, will be given possibility to return their country,"
the Commissioner for Human Rights stated.

In his words, the Georgian Government prepared a draft connected
with the problem which has not been presented to the Parliament’s
adoption yet. "During my visit to Georgia I arose an issue that the
time to adopt the law and start works in that direction has already
come," T.Hammarberg said, at the same time mentioning that "there is
some fear in the ruling circles of Georgia that some problems will
arise between Mohammedan Meskhets returned the country and the local
population." He mentioned that in the case of arising similar problems,
it is necessary to inform the population of the region that Meskhets
once lived in this country, they were then expeled by force and they
have complete right to return and again live on their land.

Responding the journalists’ question how the Council of Europe
Commissioner estimates the issue that some obligations undertaken by
Georgia before the EU were not implemented, Hammerberg noticed that
"no government exists which would fully satisfy the standards demanded
within the framework of the Council of Europe." "From the viewpoint
of implementation of the obligations before the EU, there are some
problems in all the governments," Hammerberg stated.