Microsoft Word mitatcelikpaladokto doc

 
 
 
146 
 
the young should defend their arguments but a decision should be taken as quickly 
as possible and then the work has to be started. 
Ahmet Tsalikhov’s proposal was not left unanswered. Severnyi Kavkaz, the 
successor publication of the North Caucasian emigration opened a discussion 
platform in its first issue published in May 1934. B.H. joined this discussion with 
an article titled ‘Şimali Kafkasya’nın Resmi Lisanı Ecnebi Bir Lisan Olmamalıdır’ 
(The Official Language of the North Caucasus should not be a Foreign One).
377
 
In the beginning, he agreed with the other authors that the lack of a unified 
official North Caucasian language was the main reason for the North Caucasians’ 
captivity and so long as an official language is not defined this captivity would last. 
However further, he claimed, it is impossible to agree an official language for a 
nonexistent state. Most North Caucasians are now living in exile and thus have no 
sovereignty. Moreover it is impossible to estimate when this sovereignty would be 
realized. On the other hand the process in the North Caucasus was on going and 
currently, he said, there were autonomies not only for each language but even for 
the all dialects in which these languages and dialects are written and read. 
Therefore the exiles, he stressed, could not decide themselves the official language 
of the possible sovereign state.
378
 He was well aware of the dominance of the 
Russian language in the region. Therefore, to speak of making a choice between 
Arabic, Turkish, or Esperanto, he claims to be nonsense. 
He believed that when the North Caucasian gained their freedom, they 
would prefer the most developed and comprehensive regional language as their 
                                                 
377
 B. H., May 1934. “Şimali Kafkasya’nın Resmi Lisanı Ecnebi Bir Lisan Olmamalıdır,”  Şimali 
Kafkasya- Severnyi Kavkaz, (Warsaw), 1: 5-7. Hereafter “Resmi Lisan”. 
378
 B. H., “Resmi Lisan”, 6. 

---

 
 
 
147 
 
official language. Then, in contrast to his earlier analysis, he asserted that although 
there was no single language extending over the entire North Caucasus, a 
somewhat widespread language was already in existence: the Adyge language. 
Before the 19
th
 century’s struggles and emigration, he points out, more than three 
million out of five million individuals living in the North Caucasus were Adyges. 
Their language, unfortunately, as the other regional languages had no script and 
thus they could not create any kind of science and knowledge. However, if the 
North Caucasians could defeat the Russians and establish their own state, the 
Adyges with their overwhelming majority would declare their language as the 
official language.
379
 
As it is understood from the Severnyi Kavkaz, the North Caucasian 
emigrants interested in the language issue. Therefore, the periodical made an 
announcement in its second issue in Russian and in its fourth in Turkish. 
 
“Naturally, we do not believe that finding a solution to the most 
complicated problem of language, through discussions in the pages of a 
periodical which published in exile would be possible. On the other hand 
we have no any doubt about the usefulness of this kind of a discussion. 
In our opinion, our dispersed structure to the varied numbers of countries do 
not allow us to utilize any other way to exchange our ideas in an extensive 
way. Without doubt, the exchange of ideas in a comprehensive way among 
the representatives of old and new emigrants, would bring us together and 
increase uniformity and capability. Moreover, we better understand our 
ideas reciprocally and most importantly, -if it exists- we assist each other by 
pointing our erroneous opinions. Through this way, for the future, we 
willmake the solution of the complicated language problem easier to a 
certain degree.”
380
 
 
                                                 
379
 B. H., “Resmi Lisan”, 5-6. 
380
 Editorial Board, August 1934. “Şimali Kafkasya’da Dil Mes’elesi, (Problema Yazıka na 
Severnom Kavkaze),” Severnyi Kavkaz/Şimali Kafkasya, (Warsaw), 4: 11-12. 

---

 
 
 
148 
 
In this framework, the periodical’s Editorial Board declared that they would 
publish all articles on the language issue, even articles in which the authors which 
contradicted the line of the periodical. Nevertheless, they felt it necessary to point 
out that this doesn’t mean that the level of argumentation and objectivity will not 
be taken into consideration. Therefore, the participants of the discussion should be 
careful on writing on the language issue. 
The editorial board of the periodical concluded this announcement by 
underlining that the stance of the periodical would be clarified at the end of the 
discussion. 
 
Another very important article on the language issue was Arslan’s article 
‘Dil Mes’elesi Hakkında 1928’de Dağıstan’da Neler Söylenmişti’ (What was said 
regarding the language problem in Dagestan in 1928)
381
. In this article, the author 
showed the North Caucasian peoples’ interest towards their motherland and their 
concern for the events, which had taken place. The article also gives a historical 
perspective on the development of the discussions on the language issue. 
Arslan asserted that the language issue was not a newborn topic for the 
North Caucasians. Even in 1905, the North Caucasian intellectuals studied this 
issue. The political atmosphere and the Tsar’s regional administration however, he 
said, didn’t allow detailed discussion or the taking of the necessary steps to solve 
the problem. 
                                                 
381
 Arslan, August 1934. “Dil Mes’elesi Hakkında 1928’de Dağıstan’da Neler Söylenmişti,” 
Severnyi Kavkaz/Şimali Kafkasya, (Warsaw), 4: 12-19 and September-October 1934, 5-6: 24-29. 

---