The discussion of changing the charter and name, which is on the agenda of the next General Assembly of the Caucasian Federation (KAFFED) in October 2026, is not a routine administrative procedure or a superficial name change. This General Assembly is an opportunity to solidify the organization's actual reality and make an existential choice regarding its future.
In the past, the choice of the name "Caucasian" may have had understandable historical reasons. In those years, the idea of creating a single organization uniting all the peoples of the North Caucasus, given the political climate of the time, may have been a perfectly reasonable and sincere attempt. However, the decisions made at the organization's founding are not necessarily immutable truths. Society changes. Political conditions change. Our self-definition changes. The needs of organizations change. Sometimes the concept that united us in the past proves insufficient to define our future.
Today, the discrepancy between who KAFFED actually represents and what its name suggests is already evident.
Despite the debates about what KAFFED was like at its founding and the goals of its predecessors, the current reality is clear: other Caucasian peoples have, over time, created their own associations, federations, and foundations based on their own identities. The Abkhazians united within the AbkhazFed; the Chechens, Ossetians, Karachay-Balkars, and peoples of Dagestan are also developing their own organizations.
Currently, KAFFED does not include Abkhaz, Chechen, Ossetian, Dagestani, or Karachay-Balkar associations. All organizations within the current KAFFED structure are Circassian (Adyghe) associations. Of course, representatives of other Caucasian peoples may be among the members of these associations, but this does not change the institutional identity of the associations themselves. Moreover, a significant portion of these associations already directly reflect the Circassian/Adyghe identity in their names.
More importantly, today KAFFED has no real organizational representation in Ossetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, or among the Karachay-Balkar people. As for its historical presence in Abkhazia, it has also lost its stable foundation as the AbkhazFed strengthens its own institutional structure.
In light of this reality, renaming KAFFED to the "Federation of Circassian (Adyghe) Associations" is no longer just one option, but a natural consequence of the current situation.
This is not simply a name change; it is a political position, clearly defining who the federation is and whom it represents.
However, a name change alone is not enough for the future of KAFFED.
A KAFFED that merely changes its name without renewing its thinking, methods, and mission will not be able to remain viable for long. A name change must mark the beginning of a deeper institutional transformation.
What should the new KAFFED be like?
The new KAFFED must become a democratic and proactive entity, protecting the rights and interests of the Circassian (Adyghe) people in Turkey, their homeland, and the global diaspora.
It must correctly define the historical homeland of the Circassian people, place the concept of "Circassia" at the center of its institutional discourse, and consider strengthening ties with the homeland a strategic goal.
KAFFED must combat the political, legal, and psychological obstacles to returning to their homeland; the "Homeland of the Circassians—Circassia" consciousness must become not just a slogan, but a concrete political perspective.
Decision-making mechanisms must be freed from centralized and rigid structures and take on the character of a democratic mass organization capable of incorporating the initiative and dynamism of rank-and-file members, women, and youth.
Not an organization controlled by a few individuals, but a structure in which members and delegates genuinely participate in decision-making must become the foundation of a new KAFFED—one that is transparent and accountable to its members.
A strong federation is not simply an organization uniting numerous associations under one roof. It is an organization capable of shaping collective wisdom, political will, and a vision for the future of its people.
KAFFED faces a choice.
Either it adopts the name "Federation of Circassian (Adyghe) Associations," which reflects the reality of its membership base, and proposes a new, homeland-oriented, democratic, and forward-looking vision;
or, by resisting change, it will remain an organization lagging behind its own society and gradually losing its functionality, ultimately consigning itself to the dusty shelves of history.
The responsibility our history places upon us lies not merely in changing our name.
It lies in correctly defining our own identity, rebuilding our connection to our homeland, and shaping a political and institutional vision capable of ensuring the future of the Circassian (Adyghe) people.
The question is not only what KAFFED will be called. The question is how the future of the Circassian people will be organized.
Khakhu Nart
24.08.2026
Source: facebook page of Youth of Circassia (Çerkesya Gençliği).
Note: The article was translated using Google Translate.
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