Yeni Kafkasya
Yeni Kafkasya (Turkish: New Caucasus) The journal first published by Azerbaijani emigrants living in the Republic of Turkey.
Starting its publication on September 26, 1923, in Istanbul under the organization of M. A. Resulzade, the “Yeni Kafkasya” journal was the first example of Azerbaijani emigrant press.
Despite various opinions during this period, the journal, which published 95 issues, was considered harmful by the "Executive Representatives" and ceased its activity at the end of 1927.
From a notice published in the 7th issue in its third year of publication, it is understood that the journal paused on December 15, 1925, and resumed its activity on February 6, 1926.
The phrase "Yeni Kafkasya is published every two weeks as a literary, social, and political collection" was written at the beginning of this section.
Analysis of the daily social and political activities of the country under Russian Bolshevik occupation, and the proposal of slogans for the struggle, adapted to the changing situation.
Kafkazli, Karabakhli Sinan, Kazanli, Kazanli.A, Battal, Kazim, Kemal, qurbani Gulu, M., M.B, M. Garib, M.M.B, Mirza Bala, M.S.
Sinan, Mahmud Fuad Toktar, Mahmud Fuad, Monastrli Bahaddin, Mehmet Ali Salih , Mammad Amin Rasulzadeh, Mehmet Fuad Toktar, Mirza Bala Mammadzadeh, Mirza Mammadzadeh, Milli, Mim Alif, Mim Garib, Mim, Mir Yaqub Mihriyev, Mirza Bala, Mirza, Muhammad Ali Salih, Reporter, Musavatchi, Mustafa Chokayoglu, Mustafa, Muzaffar Sharif ,N., Nafia Shukr, Nejati, Ozan, P., A Muslim immigrant from Russia, S., Sanan, Sadri Maqsudi, S. Sanan, Suud Safvat, Sh.E, Sh.M, Sh., Shafi, Sahin, Shuk., T.E, Dashdemir, Tin, Turan, Ahmad Naim from Turkestan, Uzbek from Turkestan, Turkmen from Turkestan, Uran, Yagub Qadri, etc.
Writers and poets such as Mahamməd Amin Rasulzada, A. Zeki Vəlidi, Ayaz İshaki, Mehmet Fuad Toktar, Sədri Məqsudi, Yusif Akçura, Cəfər Seyidəhməd Krımər, Abdullah Battal, and Ahmad Javad were prominent intellectuals and artists recognized throughout the Turkic world.
On this subject, Səbahattin Şimşir writes in his book "Azerbaijan’s Struggle for Independence": "There are approximately 215 signed and unsigned articles in the 'Yeni Kafkasya' journal that we believe to belong to Mahammad Amin Rasulzada .
However, given the writer's consistent contributions throughout the journal's history and their deep understanding of the Bolsheviks' policies regarding Azerbaijan, it is possible to suggest that "Azəri" was someone close to Rəsulzadə.
The other 43 poems belonged to poets such as Gültəkin, Əhməd Cavad, Əli Usta, Azəri-zadə, B..., Almas İldırım, Gülsərən, Huseyn Javid, Nafia Şükrü, Sinan, and Suut Saffet.
Throughout its publication life, the journal showed dedication in highlighting Azerbaijan’s historical and cultural identity and did not hesitate to provide information about its full potential.
In this way, the journal instilled in the youth the understanding that Azerbaijan was a well-established state with the right to live independently and fostered a sense of responsibility to care for it.
The names of exiled and executed patriots were revealed, biographies of notable figures were written, and the misery experienced in Bolshevik prisons was discussed.
Closely following Russia's actions and ambitions regarding the Turks, the journal also covered political, social, and cultural topics within the Turkic world.
In contrast to the hatred towards Armenia, which had betrayed Azerbaijan within the "Transcaucasian Federation" formed after the Bolshevik revolution, Georgia was regarded as a brotherly nation, and significant publications were dedicated to it (it is important to note that Georgian and Turkish intellectuals cooperated in the Prometheus Movement in Europe).
The journal also closely followed political processes in neighboring Iran and kept an eye on the world policies of other major powers.
As such, all matters concerning Turkism found expression in its publications, and its publishing policy served as a guide for journals and newspapers created later with the same purpose.
The Russification policy carried out during the Tsarist era is being continued by the Bolshevik communists, and all the resources of oppressed nations are exploited for the benefit of the Russian race.
[7] We take great satisfaction in seeing that our publications are not in vain, as evidenced by the Bolshevik policies and the occasional articles in the press discussing events and life in the Caucasus.
Additionally, our journal, which delivers distressing news about the groans, oppression, and suffering of the Turkic and Islamic peoples under Bolshevik brutality, has reached key centers from Anatolia, Iran, Egypt, India, Afghanistan, and other Eastern countries.
It is possible to find important details in the journal regarding events that took place in Russia, the Caucasus, and Iran during the years when "Yeni Kafkasya" was being published.
The writer known by the pseudonym "Azəri" (1924) discussed the Bolshevik literature being developed through "Worker Schools" established by the Russians in Azerbaijan.
Among these, special attention should be given to the articles related to Azerbaijani press, which provided a chronological listing of journals and newspapers published in Azerbaijan up to that point, presenting many names.
Writers from different parts of the Turkic world contributed various thoughts on culture and literature, publishing their ideas in a series of articles in the journal, turning their views into topics of discussion.
In an article titled *In the Kazan Region* sent to "Yeni Kafkasya" under the signature Kazanlı, Abdullah Battal (Taymas) spoke about a common literary language, writing: "The geographical expanse in which the literature written in this language is read is proportional to the vastness of the dispersed geographical environment of the Kazan Turks.
If these Turks, for the sake of national ambitions, abandon their local dialect chauvinism and get along well among themselves, and if the current literary language of the Idil region gravitates towards Kazan, I have no doubt that there is a possibility for the emergence of a common literary language for approximately twenty million Central Turks, that is, for a Turkic region stretching from the Idil basin to the Zarafshan valley."
The author, who proposed that a dialect belonging to a country that can be politically, culturally, and literarily independent in any era should become the common language, expressed his view on the matter as follows: “In my opinion, these three factors are in the hands of our Anatolian friends today.
However, some leading writers of "Yeni Kafkasya," like Mirzə Bala, who did not participate in the debate, viewed the idea of using Turkish from Turkey as a common language positively.
