Sochi Olympic Games 2014 and the Circassian Genocide

1. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Sochi Olympic Games 2014 and the Circassian Genocide by Levent Sürer Federation of European Circassians Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

2. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Agenda • Sochi, the Black Sea City • Facts and Figures about Sochi Olympics 2014 • Circassian Genocide Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

3. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Agenda • Sochi, the Black Sea City • Facts and Figures about Sochi Olympics 2014 • Circassian Genocide Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

4. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU • Population 340.000 • Russians, Ubykh, Shapsugh • Located in Krasnodar Krai, • close to Abkhazian border • Streches 145 km along the black sea and is considered one of the largest cities in Europe • Name is Ubykh and comes from the river crossing the city • Even Muslim over centuries no single mosque in entire Sotchi today Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

5. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Agenda • Sochi, the Black Sea City • Facts and Figures about Sochi Olympics 2014 • Circassian Genocide Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

6. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU • Candidate cities for Olympia 2014: • Salzburg, Austria – IOC ratin „excellent“ • Pyeonchang, South Korea – IOC rating „excellent“ • Sotchi, IOC rating „very good“ • Sotchi elected with 51 to 47 vs. Pyeongchang in second round • No single site existed when been elected • 12 billion USD investment guaranteed by President Putin in infrastructure, sport sites in Sotchi and Krasnaya Poljana • Winter Olympics at +3 degree Celcius lowest average temperature • Same latitude as Nice in Cote d‘Azur Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

7. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Sotchi city logo Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

8. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Agenda • Sochi, the Black Sea City • Facts and Figures about Sochi Olympics 2014 • Circassian Genocide Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

9. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU • Sochi is site of the final expulsion of the Circassians • Tremendous number of deportees perished during the process • Some died from epidemics among crowds of deportees both while awaiting departure and while languishing in their Ottoman Black Sea ports of arrival • Others perished when ships underway sank during storms Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

10. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU • 90% of the indigenous Circassians were slaughtered or expulsed from their homelands • According to the official tsarist documents more than • 400,000 Circassians were killed, • 497,000 were forced to flee abroad to Turkey, and only • 80,000 were left alive in their native area • Other sources give much higher numbers, totaling 1 million- 1.5 million deported and/or killed • "In this year of 1864 a deed has been accomplished almost without precedent in history: not one of the mountaineer (Circassians) inhabitants remains on their former places of residence, and measures are being taken to cleanse the region in order to prepare it for the new Russian population." – Main Staff of the Caucasian Army Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

11. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU President of the Federal National Cultural Autonomy of Russian Circassians, Alexander Ohtov, says the term genocide is justified in his Kommersant interview: "Yes, I believe that the concept of genocide against the Circassians was justified. To understand why we are talking about the genocide, you have to look at history. During the Russian-Caucasian war, Russian generals not only expelled the Circassians, but also destroyed them physically. Not only killed them in combat but burned hundreds of villages with civilians. Spared neither children nor women nor the elderly. The entire fields of ripe crops were burned, the orchards cut down, so that the Circassians could not return to their habitations. A destruction of civilian population on a massive scale is it not a genocide?" Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

12. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU • Alpine ski in Krasnaya Poljana = Russian for „Red Hill“ • In 1864, Circassians tried to return home but were attacked and a battle ensued, ending in their massacre, and attaining the name "Red Hill" (for the blood spilt). • There will be skiing and snowboarding on this hill !!! Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

13. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Just Imagine !!! How would the world react to this ???? Auschwitz 20XX Olympic Games Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

14. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU The Circassian Genocide We did not forget Unutmadik ! We will not forget Unutmayacagiz ! We will not let them forget Unutturmayacagiz ! Russia, We are still awaiting your apology! Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com

15. FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN CIRCASSIANS AVRUPALI ÇERKESLER FEDERASYONU Thank you for your attention ! Brussels, 18th June 2012 – 7th Circassian Day at EP - www.euroxase.com