The disappearance of a Turkic language and culture (I)

During the COP29 Climate Summit held in Baku on November 12, Moldova's re-elected President Maia Sandu met face-to-face with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The two leaders held a constructive meeting, discussing peace and stability in the region, as well as the growth of Turkish trade and investments in Moldova. However, an important topic of conversation was the role of Gagauzia, which is seen as a bridge between these two countries. Both presidents pledged to work together to protect the Gagauz language and culture, which are a valuable part of the Republic of Moldova's identity. 

Today's article is about the Gagauz language and culture. What are the factors contributing to the disappearance of a Turkic language and culture? Why did Turkey "lose" to Russia in Gagauzia? How can such a special and unique language and culture be revitalized? 

I have written articles in the Turkish press about Gagauzia on various occasions. More precisely, I felt the need to write this piece because I realized that Turks do not know much about this autonomous region of the Republic of Moldova. 

WHAT IS GAGAUZIA AND WHO ARE THE GAGAUZ?

The Gagauz are a small Orthodox Christian Turkic people. They have a long and interesting history. The Gagauz have never had a state of their own. For this reason, they are a people who have suffered greatly throughout history. After 1812, the Gagauz people in Bessarabia faced a forced Russification process encouraged by tsarist authorities for the first time. The effects of this Russification process, which has been ongoing for more than 2 centuries, are still visible today. The Gagauz were a very poor people in the Ottoman Empire. The Russians took advantage of this by offering the Gagauz privileges such as large tracts of land or exemption from military service. In 1994, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova recognized the autonomy of the Gagauz people. The special status of the region was included in the Moldovan Constitution. The population is approximately 122 thousand people. The population speaks mainly Russian. 

Many political commentators view Gagauzia as a "Trojan horse" within the Republic of Moldova. This is because the political vision of the authorities in Gagauzia does not align with the political vision of the central authorities in Chisinau. For example, the Gagauz people do not support the idea of the Republic of Moldova's European integration, despite the EU investing over 11 million euros in the form of grants. We should note that a significant portion of the Gagauz, after leaving Turkey where many had worked for years, now work mostly in EU countries. 

WHY IS RUSSIA A "FRIEND" OF GAGAUZIA?

The Gagauz are a highly Russified ethnic group. Here we must state that the central authorities of Moldova are responsible for allowing Russia to be so influential on their own territory. As the years passed, the central government in Chisinau did not work effectively with the Gagauz, which was also reflected in election results. Despite the banning of Russian television stations and the closure of pro-Russian local channels in Moldova, Russian propaganda remains quite effective and strong in Gagauzia. This is because Russia does not refrain from investing in Gagauz education and cultural projects. 

Why does the Gagauz people, who are assumed to speak Gagauz (a language closest to Turkey Turkish among all Turkic languages), feel closer to Moscow than to Moldova or even Turkey? The Gagauz language is on the verge of extinction, but the Gagauz people prefer to speak and defend Russian and "Moldovan" (there is no such language, it is a purely political invention).  

The most important reason for this is the Christianization of the Gagauz people and their membership in the Russian Orthodox Church. Due to their religious faith, they may have become more spiritually attached to the Russian world. The process of denationalization during the Soviet era also brought them closer to everything Russian. The fact that a Gagauz can speak Russian fluently makes them feel closer to Russia than to Moldova, of which they are citizens. The Gagauz population has always supported left-wing political forces in Moldova that are associated with pro-Russian ideology. Almost one in every three families in Gagauzia has relatives in Russia. The Gagauz people have always voted for pro-Russian politicians and have always viewed being close to the EU or neighboring Romania as a danger. 

Pro-Russian politicians know the weak or sensitive points of the region very well and use this advantage. Gagauzia is the region where the party of fugitive politician Ilan Shor has the most influence (Shor is in Moscow). The fact that politicians from Chisinau are seen as enemies in Gagauzia helps pro-Russian forces on Gagauz soil maintain their influence over the issue of autonomy. 

When I studied by reading various sources in different languages about the Gagauz, I concluded that neither the Moldovans nor the Gagauz know much about their past. For example, during the Soviet era, the Gagauz people were ignored by the authorities (there were no privileges). However, those accused of collaborating with Romanian authorities were persecuted. Many Gagauz families were exiled to Siberia on the grounds that they were "wealthy peasants." During the Soviet era, education in the Gagauz language was banned. The Soviets implemented a forced Russification plan for both Moldovans and Gagauz. By making the learning of the Russian language mandatory, the Russians implemented the most successful strategy for assimilating other peoples and ethnic groups. We see the results of these assimilation efforts today. Moreover, the Cyrillic alphabet was also used. With the learning and daily use of the Russian language, the cultural-ideological code of that people is also affected/changed.  

As far as we can see, the Gagauz have not always been "pro-Russian." However, to fight against Moldovan nationalism, they chose the Eastern direction and Russia as their "protector" for quite pragmatic reasons. 

Many commentators explain the Gagauz's closeness to Russia by the fact that the Tsarist Empire contributed to the education of the Gagauz and the eradication of illiteracy among the people. In other words, when it comes to Gagauzia, we are talking about a Russification process of approximately 200 years; we are talking about a period/process that resulted in the risk of the Gagauz language, culture, and identity disappearing. 

To be continued...