GEORGIAN POLITICAL EMIGRATION AND DIASPORA IN THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY (1921–1939)

Abstract

This paper is based on a comprehensive analysis of the interwoven dynamics between Georgian political emigration and diaspora within the Republic of Turkey between 1921 and 1939—a period that simultaneously reflects the violent Soviet annexation of the Democratic Republic of Georgia and the institutional formation of the new Kemalist Turkish state. The study presents a synthetic perspective on the political, cultural, and organizational transformations that shaped Georgian emigration not as a temporary episode, but as a structurally consolidated phenomenon within the geopolitical and societal context of interwar Turkey.

The central thesis posits that the Georgian political émigré community in Turkey, despite its unregulated legal status and lack of international legitimacy, developed a unique model of self-organized “clandestine statehood.” This model was grounded in cultural-intellectual resources, diasporic solidarity, and a sophisticated capacity for geopolitical adaptation. Drawing upon documentary sources—including Soso Mdivani’s correspondence from Ankara, archival records from the Turkish Republic, and memoir-based texts from Georgian émigrés—the article highlights the intricate balance that evolved between the exiled Georgian leadership and the host state: one of political silence paired with cultural activity.

A particular emphasis is placed on the social networks that connected Georgian émigrés with descendants of Ottoman-era Georgian-speaking muhajirs. This integration with an established ethnic stratum provided Georgian exiles with spatial and cultural reinforcement, helping to preserve national identity not only at the level of political rhetoric but also within the fabric of everyday cultural practice—language, customs, educational initiatives, and informal religious rituals.

 state policy, while focused on consolidating a monoethnic national identity through secular nationalism, tolerated this cultural presence as long as it did not disrupt internal or external equilibrium—especially concerning relations with the Soviet Union. Within this neutralized political space, Georgian émigrés were able to symbolically maintain their political aspirations and uphold mechanisms of cultural self-identification.

Goal: The study further explores the gradual transformation that took place from the mid-1930s, wherein political exile began to give way to a more culturally structured diaspora. Though politically less visible, Georgian émigrés became increasingly active in religious, linguistic, and educational spheres, thereby preserving the historical memory of Georgian independence. Their “quiet resistance”—a form of structurally sustained cultural expression—emerged as one of the most enduring means through which the ideal of Georgian statehood survived during the mid-twentieth century.

Keywords: Georgian political emigration; Turkey 1921–1939; diaspora diplomacy; national identity in exile; cultural preservation; Soviet-Turkish relations.