Georgia's Armenians take Georgian surnames

They said this process is a part of Armenians' unrealizable dream of a 'Great Armenia'.

"This process took place during 1956-1986 as well. At present, in Georgia it is impossible to distinguish Armenians from Georgians. Any citizen can change his surname according to an Georgian law adopted in 2004," a member of "Geyrat" board Zumrud Gurbanli told reporters.

She said Georgia must carefully approach this issue.

Armenian Web sites and media spread provoking articles regarding the Borchali region, movement's head Alibala Asgarov said.

"In their articles they even unite the Borchali (Kvemo-Kartli) and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions. Armenian Web sites even represent me as an agent of Azerbaijan and Turkey. They wrote that I intended to create a split in Georgia. We do not fear Armenian provocations. Borchali is a historic Turkic land," he said.    

Unofficial data places the number of Azerbaijanis living in Georgia at 500,000 who are mainly populated in Kvemo-Kartli (Borchali).

According to statistics, Georgians make up about 70 percent of Georgian population. Armenians (380,000), Azerbaijanis (350,000), Russian (207,000), Ossetians (150,000), Abkhazians (100,000), Greeks (80,000), Curds, Assyrians, Udins, Avars and Kistins make up the remaining 30 percent.      

The Chairman of the Georgian Azerbaijanis' Congress Ali Babayev said Armenians are provided with jobs in leading state agencies in Samtskhe-Javakheti.

"Armenians hold these positions without knowing the state language. But there is not single Azerbaijani citizen in the 48 state agencies of Borchali as Azerbaijanis do not know state language," Babayev said.

/Trend News/