21:31, 3 February 2014

In Istanbul, 700 Circassians rally against Sochi Olympics

Rally to protest Sochi Olympics, Istanbul, February 2, 2013. Photo by Irma Kreiten, http://sochi2014-nachgefragt.blogspot.com.tr/

On February 2, in Istanbul, at the building of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Turkey, a rally of the Circassian public against the Olympics in Sochi was held with the attendance of over 700 people.

Let us remind you that on February 1 in Ankara the rally held under the motto "Circassians extinguish Olympic Flame" was 1200 people strong. The Turkey Federation of Caucasian Societies was the organizer of the protest.

The participants of the rally held on February 2 in Istanbul were dressed in national clothes; they held posters with inscriptions in Turkish and Russian: "Olympics cannot take place where genocide was committed!" and "Those who were able to commit genocide cannot hold the Olympics!" one of the participants told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Members of the Circassian community put a black torch wrapped in barbed wire in front of the Russian Consulate.

In the course of the rally, Bilyur Akturk, a well-known Circassian activist, noted that "protests will continue until the last day of the Olympics, which is held in the year of the 150^th anniversary of the Circassian genocide and expulsion of Circassians from their homeland – Sochi."

Author: Asya Kapaeva

Source: CK correspondent