| Fergana Massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the exile of the Meskhetian Turks and the dissolution of the Soviet Union | |
| Location | Fergana Valley, Uzbek SSR |
| Date | 3 June 1989–12 June 1989 (1 week and 2 days) |
| Target | Meskhetian Turks, Bukharan Jews |
Attack type | pogrom |
| Deaths | minimum 97 [1] |
| Injured | 1,000 [1] |
| Perpetrators | Uzbek nationalist mobs |
| Accused | KGB-led mafia [2] [3] |
The Fergana massacre happened in 1989, after riots broke out between the Meskhetian Turks exiled in Uzbekistan and the native Uzbeks. Hundreds of Meskhetian Turks were killed or injured, nearly 1,000 properties were destroyed and thousands of Meskhetian Turks fled into exile. [4] Bukharian Jews living in Fergana were also targeted, and many fled to Israel. [3]
Since their World War II deportation, Meskhetian Turks were not allowed to return to their homeland. They continued living in Central Asia, primarily in Uzbekistan, until June 1989, when Uzbek extremists took part in a mass slaughter of the Meskhetian Turks and other minorities in the Fergana Valley. According to official, and most probably low figures, 97 people died, over 1,000 were wounded and 752 houses destroyed. Before the massacre, about 100,000 Meskhetian Turks lived in Uzbekistan. [1]
From 16th to 18th May 1989 clashes between Uzbeks and Turks broke out in the city of Quvasoy. On the 23rd May fighting recommenced and developed into a conflict which lasted for two days and involved hundreds of people. Crowds of Uzbeks attempted to incite a pogrom in the areas of the city populated by Meskhetian Turks and other minorities. The authorities tried to convince the crowds to disperse. After the arrival of additional military enforcement (around 300 people) from other regions the disturbance died down. According to official reports 58 people were injured, including two policemen, and of these 32 were hospitalised. The next day, one of those injured in the fighting, 26 year old Tajik Ikrom Abdurakhmanov, died.[ citation needed ]
Authorities in Moscow and Tashkent quickly claimed that the riots were planned by the mafia, the political enemies of Russian President Gorbachev or by Uzbek nationalists. [2]
Following this events, the majority of Meskhetian Turks, about 70,000, went to Azerbaijan, whilst the remainder went to various regions of Russia (especially Krasnodar Krai), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. [4] [5]