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Gagauzia

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Gǎgǎuzia
(Gagauz language: Gagauz-Yeri)
Flag of
Flag
Location of Gagausia (in purple)
Capital Comrat
46°19′N 28°40′E / 46.317°N 28.667°E / 46.317; 28.667
Largest city Comrat
Official languages Gagauz, Moldovan, and Russian
Government Autonomous region of
Moldova
Gheorghi Tabunshik
Stepan Esir
Surface 1,832 km²
Population 155,700 (2006) [1]
Density 85/km²
Creation April 23 1994
Anthem Gagauziya Milli Marşı
State religion Eastern Orthodox Church

Gagauzia (Gagauziya or Gagauz-Yeri in Gagauz, Găgăuzia in Moldovan, and Гагаузия in Russian) is an autonomous region in Moldova. The official name is Territorial autonomous unit of Gagauzia (Moldovan: Unitate teritorială autonomă Găgăuzia).

History

The word Gagauz is in origin Gok-oguz and are descendants of a Turkic tribe called Oghuz. The word "gok" means sky (i.e. sky blue, as used by the Crimean Tatars and Uyghurs). The Gagauz language is very similar to Crimean Tatar and Turkish languages. The Gagauz people were rooted from the Seljuk Turks that came and settled in Dobruja (Turkish: Dobruca), together with the Pechenegs, Uz (Oghuz) and Kipchak people that followed the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan, İzzeddin Keykavus II (1236-1276). One clan of Oghuz Turks migrated to Balkans during the inter-tribal conflicts with other Turks. This Oghuz Turk clan converted from Islam to Orthodox Christianty after settling in Orthodox Moldavia and were called Gagauz Turks.

Between 1812 and 1846[citation needed], Russians settled the Gagauz people in Bessarabia, in the settlements vacated by the Nogai tribes. They settled in Bessarabia in parallel with Bessarabian Bulgarians, mainly in Avdarma, Comrat, Congaz, Tomai, Cişmichioi, and other former Nogai villages located in the central Budjak Region.

With the exception of a five-day de facto independence in the winter of 1906, when a peasant uprising declared the autonomous Republic of Comrat, Gagauzians have been ruled by the Russian Empire (1812-1917), Romania (1918-1940 and 1941-1944), the Soviet Union(1940-1941 and 1944-1991), and Moldova (1917-1918 and 1991-present).

Gagauzian nationalism remained an intellectual movement during the 1980s, but strengthened by the end of the decade, as the Soviet Union began to embrace democratic ideals. In 1988, activists from the local intelligentsia aligned with other ethnic minorities to create the movement known as the "Gagauz People". A year later, the "Gagauz People" held its first assembly in which a resolution was passed to demand the creation an autonomous territory in southern Moldova, with Comrat designated as its capital. In August 1990, Comrat declared itself an autonomous republic, but the Moldovan government annulled the declaration as unconstitutional. The Gagauzian national movement intensified when Romanian was accepted as the official language of the Republic of Moldova in August 1989. The multiethnic populations of southern Moldova regarded this decision with concern, precipitating a lack of confidence in the central government in Chişinău. The Gagauzians were also worried about the implications for them if Moldova reunited with Romania, as seemed increasingly likely at the time.

Support for the Soviet Union remained high, with an almost unanimous 'yes' vote on the question of whether to remain part of the USSR in a referendum in March 1991 (although Moldovans in Gagauzia boycotted the referendum). Many Gagauzians supported the Moscow coup attempt in August 1991, and Gagauzia declared itself independent on 19 August 1991, followed in September by Transnistria, thus further straining relations with Chişinău. However, when the Moldovan parliament voted on whether Moldova should become independent on 27 August 1991, 6 of the 12 Gagauz deputies voted 'yes', and the other six did not participate in the vote. These moves prompted the nationalist Popular Front of Moldova to tone down its pro-Romanian line and speak up for the rights of minorities.

In February 1994, President Mircea Snegur promised the Gagauzians autonomy, though he was against outright independence. He was also opposed to the suggestion that Moldova become a federal state made up of three republics — Moldova, Gagauzia, and Transnistria.

In 1994, the Parliament of Moldova awarded to "the people of Gagauzia" (through the adoption of the new Constitution of Moldova) the right of "external self-determination" if the status of the country would change. On December 23, 1994 the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova accepted the "Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia" (Gagauz Yeri in Gagauz language), resolving the dispute peacefully. This date is now a Gagauzian holiday. Many European human-rights organizations recognize and promote Gagauzia as a successful model for resolving ethnic conflicts. Gagauzia was now a 'national-territorial autonomous unit' with three official languages (Moldovan, Gagauz, and Russian).

3 towns and 23 communes, were included in the Autonomous Gagauz Territory: all localities with over 50% of Gagauzians, and those localities with between 40% and 50% of Gagauzians, which expressed their desire to be included as a result of referenda to determine Gagauzia's borders. In 1995, Georgi Tabunshik was elected to serve as the Governor (official: Guvernator, Gagauz: Bashkan) of Gagauzia for a four-year term, as were the deputies of the local parliament, "The People's Assembly", with Peter Pashali as chairman.

Geography

Gagauzia consists of a main central part around the capital cities Comrat and Ceadîr-Lunga (Gagauz: Çadır-Lunga), one larger enclave around the city of Vulcaneşti, and two smaller ones — the villages of Copceac and Carbalia.

Administrative divisions

Gagauzia consists of 1 municipality, 2 cities, and 23 comunes, containing a total of 32 localities (according to Annex 4 of the Organic Law No. 292-XIV from 19 February 1999 of the Republic of Moldova)

Note: Names in Gagauz that are identical to the ones in the official language are not repeated.

Politics

The autonomy of Gagauzia is guaranteed by the Moldovan constitution, and it is regulated by the Gagauz Autonomy Act of 1994. If Moldova decided to unite with Romania, Gagauzia would have the right of self-determination. The Gagauzian People Assembly, or Adunarea Popularǎ (Gagauz: Halk Topluşu), has a mandate for lawmaking powers within its own jurisdiction. This includes laws on education, culture, local development, budgetary and taxation issues, social security, and questions of territorial administration. The Gagauzian Assembly has two special powers as well: it may participate in the formulation of Moldova's internal and foreign policy, and Adunarea Popularǎ (Halk Toplosu) also has the right of appeal to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, in case central regulations interfere with the jurisdiction of Gagauz-Yeri.

The supreme official of Gagauzia, who heads the executive power structure, is the Governor of Gagauzia (Guvernatorul Gǎgǎuziei, or Gagauz: Bashkan), and is chosen by decree of the President of Moldova for a four-year term. He has power over all public administrative bodies of Gagauzia, and is also a member of the Government of the Republic of Moldova. Eligibility for governorship only requires fluency in the Gagauz language (besides Moldovan citizenship, and a 35-year minimum age requirement).

Permanent executive power in Gagauz-Yeri rests with the Executive Committee (Comitetul Executiv, or Bakannik Komiteti), members of which are appointed, on the proposal of the Governor, by a simple majority vote in the Assembly at its first session. The Committee ensures the application of the laws of the Republic of Moldova and those of the Assembly of Gagauz-Yeri. As part of autonomy, Gagauzia has its own police force.

Economy

The base of the Gagauzian economy is agriculture, in particular viticulture. The main export products are wine, sunflower oil, non-alcoholic beverages, wool, leather and textiles. There are 12 wineries, that process over 400 000 t annually. There are also 2 oil factories, 2 carpet factories, one meat factory, and one non-alcoholic beverages factory.

Infrastructure

There are 451 kilometers of roads in Gagauzia, of which 82% are paved. Turkey loaned Moldova 35 million dollars to improve Gagauzia's road network.

Demographics

According to the 2006 census Gagauzia had a population of 155,700, of which 58,300 lived in cities and 97,500 in rural communities.

Ethnic composition

Source: [2]

Culture and education

There are 55 schools, Comrat Pedagogical College, Comrat State University. Turkey financed the creation of a Turkish cultural centre (Türk İşbirliği Ve Kalkınma İdaresi Başkanlığı) and a Turkish library (Atatürk Kütüphanesi). In the village of Beşelma there is a Gagauz historical and ethnographical museum established by Dimitri Karacabav.

See also

Template:Turkic-speaking

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