Ahiskan Turks(1800-1921)

Kipchak Turks, who were brought to Georgia and settled in the region of Ahıska at the time of King David the 2nd and Queen Tamara, were converted to Christianity. They established the Atabek State that was going to survive for 310 years. Ahıskan Turks entered under the Ottoman rule in 1578. From then on they were gradually converted to Islam. The Ahıskan Region entered into the rule of Russia in 1828 as a consequence of Russia's policies aiming to access warm seas. The Ottoman State re-seized the Ahıskan Region right after the Boshevik Revolution in 1917. However as a result of the Moudros Armistice, this situation did not last too long. After the whitdrawal of the Turkish Army, the Ahıskan Region was invaded by Georgians. Then paramilitary resistance was started in Ahıska. Nevertheles, it was failed after the collapse of South-West Caucassian Turkish Government by the British forces. The Menshevik Georgian Government invited the Turkish Army to defend the Ahıskan Region againist Soviet invasion. However, Turkish military presence in Ahıska did not last too long in Georgia again as a result of the political agreement of Moscow signed between Soviet Russia and the Government of Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1921. Henceforth, the Ahıskan Region went under the rule of Soviet Georgia. The Treaty of Kars did not change the situation of Ahıska and the state of the region changed permanently as a non-Turkish geography. From then on, the Ahıskan Turks were abondoned to their own destiny. The current study, examines the state of Ahıskan Turks from the beginning of Ottoman rule to Kars Treaty in detail. Key Words: Ahıskan Turks, Edirne Treaty, Batum Treaty, Temporary Ahıskan Government, Moskova Treaty