FUEN meets Meshketian Turks and Karachay-Balkars in Moscow

From 1-4 October 2015, FUEN Vice President Halit Habipoglu paid a working visit to Moscow in order to meet two FUEN member organisations. Firstly the International Society of Meshketian Turks “VATAN” representing the Meshketian Turks and secondly the Karachay-Balkars and their organisation Bars El: Social Organisation for Fostering and Development of the Karachay-Balkar Traditions. Vice President Halit Habipoglu also visited the Kumuk Association that represents the Kumuks and is not yet a member of FUEN. 

During the meetings he had with the three organisations in Moscow, Halit Habipoglu stressed that FUEN is the only non-governmental organisation that brings together the national minorities in Europe under one roof and in a spirit of solidarity, currently with more than 90 member organisations from 33 European countries. Vice President Habipoglu said that we would welcome an application for membership from the Kumuk Association.

The Kumuks have a large population in the Caucasus, mostly living in the Autonomous Republic of Dagestan in the Russian Federation, in Chechenya and in North Ossetia. The Kumuk Association works closely together with IVDK, the organisation of the Germans in Russia, and already participated in the conference “Minorities in Border Regions” that was organised by FUEN in Sønderborg in June 2015.