Gürcülerin Efsanesi (The Myths of the Georgians), by Fuat Köprülü (1946)
Jeopolitik ilmi antoloji denemesi. Gençlik Kitabevi Neşriyatı, İçtimai Eserler Serisi, No:7 pp.42-46.
Mehmet Fuat Köprülü (5 December 1890 – 28 June 1966), also known as Köprülüzade Mehmed Fuad, was a highly influential Turkish sociologist, turkologist, scholar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye.
Published on 14 December 1945, by a Communist newspaper in Tbilisi, the letter "On Our Legitimate Demands Against Turkey," authored by Georgian academics Simon Janasia and Nikoloz Berdzenishvili, received wider exposure upon its republication in major Soviet newspapers such as Pravda, Izvestiya, and Krasnaya Zvezda on December 20. This ensured that the USSR's territorial claims on Turkey, articulated through the perspectives of these Georgian academics, were recognised internationally.
See: Gürcü Akademisyenlerin “Türkiye’ye Karşı Meşru Taleplerimiz Üzerine" Başlıklı Mektubu ve Sonrasında Yaşanan Gelişmeler (The Letter of Georgian Academics 'On Our Legitimate Claims Against Turkey' and Subsequent Developments). by Gürbüz Arslan, Karadeniz İncelemeleri Dergisi (Vol.16 No: 32) 2022, pp.475 - 522
In their letter, the academics trace Georgia's history back to 2000 BCE, linking their ancestry to the Hittites (Hittite is the oldest known Indo-European language! —Ed) and the Subarians, who, they argue, governed the territories they claim from Turkey (Türkiye).
They contend that these lands are crucial to Georgian identity. Janasia and Berdzenishvili argue that Georgians have historically spanned a vast area from the Taurus Mountains to the Caucasus, engaging in agriculture, state-building, and defense of their territories. They highlight the ancient Georgian presence in these regions, noting the establishment of significant cultural centres by their ancestors.
The narrative then shifts to the Georgian people's millennia-long effort to preserve their identity and recover their ancestral lands, detailing conflicts with various conquerors, including the Romans. This highlights the resilience and determination of the Georgian people to safeguard their heritage and rights.
In his critique titled "The Myths of the Georgians" (published in 1946 in Istanbul), Fuat Köprülü challenges the historical claims made by the Georgian academics. He suggests their accounts lean more towards legend than factual history, questioning their scientific credibility and accusing them of deliberately distorting historical facts for political purposes. Köprülü argues that no reputable historian begins Georgian history with the Hittites and disputes the classification of the Laz people as Georgians based on linguistic similarities with the Mingrelian language. He acknowledges the significance of a vibrant Georgian civilization between the 11th and 13th centuries but emphasizes adherence to historical accuracy, criticising the letter's lack of originality and its blend with local elements. Furthermore, Köprülü refutes the claim that Georgians, weakened by Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu before the Mongol invasion, protected the Western world against the Mongols, labeling it as inconsistent with historical facts.
Read the article on AW: Gürcülerin Efsanesi (The Myths of the Georgians) Fuat Köprülü
Responses from Georgian Chauvinists
Following the publication of Fuat Köprülü's article on the AW site yesterday, as usual, Georgian fanatics have once again showcased their boundless ignorance and chauvinism through their comments. Let's now take a look at these remarks.
Of course, this genius, as he would later admit in his following comment, hasn't read even a single article by Fuat Köprülü. It's doubtful he had even heard of Fuat Köprülü before this article was published. However, this behaviour is very very typical for an ordinary Georgian, so there is absolutely nothing surprising in his comment that you will see entirely on Facebook. We simply note it as typical and move on.
This idiot defends, with fervent zeal, the very error that Fuat Köprülü clarified back in 1946 in his article, unaware that the Hittites were an Indo-European community and that Hittite is the oldest known Indo-European language. This fact has been known since 1915, when Bedrich Hrozny deciphered Hittite cuneiform and subsequently published his findings in an article. Here lies the truly astonishing part. This goes beyond the typical Georgian, emerging as a pinnacle of ignorance and fanaticism.
Just like his friend, this commenter, who hasn't read the articles we published and obviously has no knowledge about the Hittites and Hattians, attempted in his comment to question us by referencing an article by Viacheslav Chirikba on the Hattian language and Northwest Caucasian languages without naming him. He received his answer on Facebook, but let's clarify it here as well.
The suggested connection between the Hattians and the Northwest Caucasians (i.e., proto-Circassians/Abkhazians/Ubykhs) is a broadly endorsed hypothesis. Regrettably, it is likely to remain just that due to the scarce information available on the Hattians and their language. However, positing a relationship between the Hittites and the Georgians cannot even be regarded as a speculative hypothesis, given the Indo-European lineage of the Hittites.
One can find scholarly articles penned by both Abkhazian/Circassian and Western academics on the Hattic and Northwest Caucasian languages. Yet, one can not find a scholarly work linking the Hittites with the Georgians. It is indeed possible to publish academic papers on Hattic and Northwest Caucasian languages in reputable journals (with several articles already published on the subject). However, any attempt to do the same for the Hittites and Georgians would likely be met with rejection. This is because, as Köprülü has stated, no serious historian would commence Georgian history with the Hittites.
The Dunning-Kruger effect manifests when an individual's lack of knowledge and skill in a particular domain leads them to overestimate their own abilities. This misplaced confidence within this ignorant throng can be attributed to more than just Georgian chauvinism; it also stems from the Dunning-Kruger effect. Fuelled by the confidence that ignorance affords, they brazenly spout nonsense on topics where their ignorance is most profound.
We will continue to educate these Georgian chauvinists and the ignorant, even knowing they might not learn.