[Bilimsel Haber] Book: Turkestan Struggle Abroad, Ahat Andican

[Onur Inal]

NEW PUBLICATION:

TURKESTAN  STRUGGLE  ABROAD
(From Jadidism to Independence)
A. Ahat ANDICAN
Haarlem, SOTA, p 776, Hardcover
ISBN: 90-807403-6-5
The book is in English

For a picture of the cover and more information how to order please
visit the home page of the book: http://www.turkistan.org/jadidism.htm

INTRODUCTION

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
delimiting the territory of Turkestan and inventing nations out of the
Turkic tribes. The communist regime wanted to make "the present" a slave
to 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 outskirts 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 scapegoats for expedience in the countries they
had sought asylum; at times they were imprisoned or expelled.

Notwithstanding all the difficulties, their determination did not waver.
They sustained the struggle for 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 the collapse of the
Soviet Union and the 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, the
February and October Revolutions, the khanates of Turkestan, autonomous
governments in the Turkic areas of Soviet Union, the influences coming
from the 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 the
People's Republic of Bukhara and Turkestan Socialist Republics. A
special section is devoted to Promethe Movement which was formed by
Polish leaders (Józef Pilsudski) with the participation of non-Russian
political emigrants from the Soviet Union. In the section on Turkey as a
political center, 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.

The third part of the book has three sections which are fully devoted to
the events taking 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 the Turkish government against Turkist groups during the Second World
War is the subject of the second section. The last section of this part
is about the developments related to Turkestani groups and the
activities of German intelligence in Afghanistan during 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 émigré 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 émigrés.

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 resist
the pressure of neighboring big powers (i.e., Russian federation and
China) singlehandedly 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.

Price: € 65  + postage

Publisher: SOTA,
2003 LP Haarlem, Netherlands
Postbus 9642
Tel / fax: + 31 23 529 28 83
E-mail: sota at wanadoo.nl


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
EXILE

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

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