Gagauzia
Gagauzia (
Gagauziya in
Gagauz,
Găgăuzia in
Moldovan, and
"агаузия in
Russian) is an autonomous region in
Moldova. The official name is
Territorial autonomous unit of Gagauzia (Moldovan:
Unitate teritorială autonomă Găgăuzia).
Between 1750 and 1846, Russians settled the
Gagauz people in
Bessarabia in the settlements vacated by the
Nogai tribes. They settled in Bessarabia along with
Bulgarians, mainly in
Avdarma,
Comrat,
Congaz,
Tomai,
Cismichioi and other former Nogai villages located in the central
Budjak Region.
With the exception of a five-day independence in the winter of 1906, when a peasant uprising declared the autonomous
Republic of Comrat, the Gagauzian people have been ruled by the
Russian Empire,
Romania,
Germany, the
Soviet Union, and
Moldova. In 1918-1945 the territory of what is now Gagauzia was part of Romania.
Gagauz nationalism remained an intellectual movement during the 1980s but strengthened by the end of the decade as the Soviet Union began to embrace democratic ideals. In 1988, activists from the local intelligentsia aligned with other ethnic minorities to create the movement known as the "Gagauz People". A year later the "Gagauz People" held its first assembly in which a resolution was passed to create an autonomous territory in southern
Moldova with Comrat designated as its capital. In August 1990, Comrat declared itself an autonomous republic, but the Moldovan government annulled the declaration as unconstitutional. The Gagauz national movement intensified when Romanian was accepted as the official language of the Republic of Moldova. The multiethnic populations of southern Moldova regarded this decision with concern, precipitating a lack of confidence in the central government located in
Chişinău. The Gagauz were also worried about the implications for them if Moldova reunited with Romania, as seemed increasingly likely at the time.
Support for the Soviet Union remained high, with an almost unanimous 'yes' vote on the question of whether to remain part of the USSR in a referendum in March 1991 (although Moldovans in Gagauzia boycotted the referendum). Many Gagauz supported the
Moscow coup attempt, further straining relations with Chişinău. However, when the Moldovan parliament voted on whether Moldova should become independent 6 of the 12 Gagauz deputies voted 'yes.' Gagauzia declared itself independent on
19 August 1991, followed in September by
Transnistria. The moves prompted the nationalist Popular Front to tone down its pro-Romanian line and speak up for the rights of minorities.
In February 1994 President
Mircea Snegur promised the Gagauz autonomy, though he was against outright independence. He was also opposed to the suggestion that Moldova become a federal state made up of three republics " Moldova, Gagauzia, and Transnistria.
In 1994, the Parliament of Moldova awarded to "the people of Gagauzia" the right of "external self-determination". On
December 23,
1994 the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova accepted the "Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia" (
Gagauz Yeri), resolving the dispute peacefully. This date is now a Gagauzian holiday. Many European human-rights organizations recognize Gagauzia as a successful model for resolving ethnic conflict. Gagauzia was now a 'national-territorial autonomous unit' with three official languages (Russian, Gagauz and Moldovan).
30 settlements, including 3 towns and 27 villages, expressed their desire to be included in the Autonomous Gagauz Territory as a result of a referendum to determine Gagauzia's borders. In 1995,
Georgi Tabunshik was elected to serve as the Governor (
Bashkan) of Gagauzia for a four-year term, as were the deputies of the local parliament, "The People's Assembly" and its chairman
Peter Pashali.
Gagauzia consists of a main central part around the capital city
Comrat, two larger enclaves " the cities of
Ceadîr Lunga and
Vulcaneşti, and two smaller ones " the villages
Copceac und
Carbolia.
Administrative divisions
Gagauzia consists of 3 cities (
Comrat,
Çadır-Lunga (
Ciadir-Lunga) and
Vulkaneşti) and 29 villages:
The autonomy of Gagauzia is guaranteed by the Moldovan constitution, and it is regulated by the Gagauz Autonomy Act of 1994. If Moldova decided to unite with
Romania, Gagauzia would have the right of self-determination. The Gagauzian parliament (
Halk Topluşu) has a mandate for lawmaking powers within its own jurisdiction. This includes laws on education, culture, local development, budgetary and taxation issues, social security, and questions of territorial administration. The Gagauz Assembly has two special powers as well: it may participate in the formulation of Moldova's internal and foreign policy, and Halk Toplosu also has the right of appeal to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, in case central regulations interfere with the jurisdiction of Gagauz-Yeri.
The supreme official of Gagauzia who heads the executive power structure is its Governor (
Bashkan). He has power over all public administrative bodies of Gagauzia, and is elected for a four-year term. The Governor of Gagauzia is a member of the government of the Republic of Moldova and is chosen by decree of the president of Moldova. Eligibility for governorship only requires fluency in the Gagauz language (besides Moldovan citizenship and a 35-year minimum age requirement).
Permanent executive power in Gagauz-Yeri rests with the Executive Committee (Bakannik Komiteti), members of which are appointed, on the proposal of the Governor, by a simple majority vote in the Assembly at its first session. The Committee ensures the application of the laws of the Republic of Moldova and those of the Assembly of Gagauz-Yeri.
Gagauzia has its own
police force.
The base of the Gagauzian economy is agriculture, in particular
viticulture. The main export products are
wine,
sunflower oil, non-alcoholic beverages,
wool,
leather and
textiles. There are 12 wineries that process over 400 000 t annually. There are also 2 oil factories, 2 carpet factories, one meat factory and one non-alcoholic beverages factory.
Infrastructure
There are 451 kilometers of roads in Gagauzia of which 82% are paved.
Turkey loaned Moldova 35 million dollars to improve Gagauzia's road network.
According to the 2004 census Gagauzia had a population of 155,700, of which 46,500 lived in Comrat and 97,500 in rural communities.
Ethnic composition
*
Gagauz: 82.5%
*
Bulgarians: 5.2%
*
Russians: 4.6%
*
Moldovans: 4.4%
*
Ukrainians: 3.3%
There 55 schools, Comrat Pedagogical College, Comrat State University. Turkey financed the creation of a Turkish cultural centre (
Türk İşbirliği Ve Kalkınma İdaresi Başkanlığı) and a Turkish library (
Atatürk Kütüphanesi). In the village of Beşelma there is a Gagauz historical and ethnographical museum established by Dimitri Karacabav.
*
Conflict in Transnistria and Gagauzia*
Images of Gagauzia*
Tabibito's Moldova Guide: Comrat, capital of Gagauzia*
Mari Kiz, Gagauzian folk music
