Turkey’s Circassian community has come under fire from nationalist quarters after complaining of assimilation against the Circassian identity.

The controversy began with a video story by German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. In the 12-minute segment, Fahri Huvaj, a Turkish author of Circassian descent, claimed that Circassians have been a victim of assimilation in Turkey, which hosts the world’s largest Circassian population. Huvaj said that only a fifth of Circassians in Turkey could speak their mother tongue and that Circassian language and culture was on the brink of extinction in Anatolia. 

Huvaj’s claims set off a frenzy in the Turkish media. Some news reports have accused Circassian groups of being “duped by foreign powers.” 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have also spoken against the video. Some other Circassian groups with close ties to the government have been encouraged to speak up against the DW’s story. The ruling party’s reaction was particularly bizarre, as it often points at the “Circassian example” to refute claims of assimilation campaigns against minorities.