TURKESTAN  STRUGGLE  ABROAD

(From Jadidism to Independence)

A. Ahat ANDİCAN

Haarlem, SOTA, p 776, Hardcover

ISBN: 90-807403-6-5

Price: € 65  + postage

 

                                                      

 

Copyright, A. Ahat Andican, 2007

Publisher: SOTA,

2003 LP Haarlem, Netherlands

Postbus 9642

Tel / fax: + 31 23 529 28 83

E-mail: sota@wanadoo.nl

Here you will find details, contents foreword and introduction.

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DESCRIPTION

Wars and revolutions have characterized the 20th century. In the course of the past two world wars, and the ideological Cold War that followed the Second World War, millions perished and millions were displaced. The Soviet Union, in particular, was the vista of the gravest tragedy in history.

The Tsarist regime had turned Turkestan to a Russian colony. The Soviet regime went further and removed the concept of Turkestan by delimitating the territory of Turkestan and inventing nations out of the Turkic tribes. The communist regime wanted to make “the present” a slave for a “utopian future”.  In the process, those who submissively obeyed the communist regime survived while those who opposed it perished.

The Jadids and Basmachis of Turkestan resisted to this process. However they had little chance of success against communism, the most tyrannical ideology the world had ever experienced. They were defeated, and dispersed outside their homeland. Ever since they had only one motive left: to sustain abroad their struggle for independent Turkestan.

But they did not know sufferings they would endure while pursuing this sacred objective. They learned it the hard way through very bitter experiences, including being used as “pawns” on the international chessboard of the major powers.

They died on the banks of Amu Darya and at the skirts of the Pamir highlands in the period of Sovietization, and along the German and Russian front lines in the Second World War. They endured political pressure and were made “scapegoat” for expedience in the countries they had sought asylum; at times were imprisoned or expelled.

Notwithstanding all the difficulties, their determination did not waver. They sustained the struggle almost 70 years, over a wide geography including Afghanistan, Iran, India, Arabic countries, Turkey, Europe, and the USA.

Most of them were not fortunate enough to witness collapse of the Soviet Union and birth of the New Turkic Republics in Turkestan. Before the close of the twentieth century their dream realized, their homeland once again shoved up on the stage of history.

The present book is a narration of the story of the émigré groups (politicians, intellectuals, Basmachis and ordinary people) from West Turkestan who were dispersed in foreign lands and put up uncompromising struggle against the Soviet Union in pursuit of their ideal of an independent Turkestan for over 70 years. More precisely, it is a narration of the struggle abroad for the liberation of Turkestan. 

In the first part of the book, author discusses the roots of Turkestan National Movement such as Jadidism, political movements in Russia, February and October Revolutions, the khanates of Turkestan, autonomous governments in the Turkic areas of Soviet Union, the influences coming from Ottoman Empire, the activities of Enver Pasha and other former Ottoman officers in Turkestan, the emergence of Turkestan Revolutionary Society, Basmachi movement, and the waves of emigrations from Turkestan.

 

The second part covers the events regarding Turkestanis taken place in Afghanistan in 1920s, the activities of Turkestani political immigrants in Europe, and the story of Turkestani students sent abroad by People’s Republic of Bukhara and Turkestan Socialist Republics. A special section is devoted to Promethe Movement which was formed by Polish Leaders (Josef Pilsudski) with the participation of non-Russian political immigrants from Soviet Union. In the section on the political center Turkey, Dr. Andican explains how Turkey was used as a shelter by Outside Turks, what kind of activities were performed by Turkestan National Movement and the fluctuating nature of the relations between Turkey and Outside Turkic groups in 1920s and 1930s. The secret activities of Turkestan National Movement in eastern countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, India and Arab countries, and the developments related emigrant political groups in Europe prior to the Second World War are the subject of the other two sections.

 

Third part of the book has three sections which are fully devoted to the events taken place during the Second World War. In the first section with the title of “Pawns in the War of the Giants”, the author narrates the story of Turkestani POWs in Germany; the formation and activities of Turkestan National Unity Committee and Turkestan Legion; and German policy on national legions. Turkey’s attitude towards Turkic POWs and German occupied territories and the policies put into practice by Turkish government against Turkist groups during Second World War is the subject of the second section. The last section of this part is about the developments related Turkestani groups and the activities of German intelligence in Afghanistan in the war period.

 

In the part of “Cold War years” Dr. Andican discusses the international situation which leads to the Cold War, US project about the formation of an anti-Bolshevik front using political emigrant groups from Soviet Union, and disagreements among these emigrant groups. In the rest of this part, the author narrates activities of Turkestan National Unity Committee in Germany, Turkey and other eastern countries, and Soviet policies against Turkestani emigrants.

 

The last part of the book covers the developments before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the emergence of Central Asian Republics,  formations and activities of Turkestan associations in Turkey, Germany and US; and also the role of Turkestani groups in the war of Afghanistan.

 

The book ends with a question regarding the destiny of the republics of Central Asia. Dr. Andican’s question is, would these republics brace the pressure of neighboring big powers (i.e., Russian federation and China) single handedly and remain a backyard of the said powers, or would they be able to pool their political and economic resources and form a commonwealth of republics of Turkestan. According to Mr. Andican, the response to this question will determine whether or not the struggle abroad for Turkestan would be sustained.

 

The present book depicts the long and arduous struggle that so little has been written about, in all its dimensions. Dr. Andican’s work, compiled with an approach of an impartial specialist and based original documents and firsthand sources, presents to the judgment of history the process of struggle for Turkestan abroad, which had been shrouded in secrecy till now. While the book is full of details that would interest a wide range of readers for many different reasons, academic historians would perhaps find secretly sustained activities of Turkestani groups in the different countries throughout 20th century and original documents and information about these events most interesting.

 

 

 

CONTENTS:

 

Preface

PART I : THE SOURCES OF THE TURKESTAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT

1.   The Sources of the Movement / 21

PART II: FROM BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR: YEARS IN EXİLE

2.   Amu Darya and Beyond / 153

3.   Turkestani Émigrés in Europe / 191

4.   The Captive Nations Front: Promethe / 209

5.   The Turkestan – Berlin line and Beyond / 227

6.   The Political Center: Turkey / 257

7.   Turkestan National Union’s activities in the eastern countries / 353

8.   At the threshold of the World War II / 387

PART III: THE YEARS OF SECOND WORLD WAR

9.   Pawns in the War of the Giants / 425

10. Turkey: During the Second World War / 505

11. Afghanistan revisited / 543

PART IV: THE COLD WAR YEARS

12. The Cold War years / 553

PART V: TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE

13. Towards independence / 611

14. Warfare in Afghan Turkestan / 631

Conclusion / 661

Documents / 669

Bibliography / 723

Index / 737