The Circassian National Assembly Held Its Founding General Assembly Meeting in Istanbul
On Sunday, October 5, 2025, delegates of the Circassian National Assembly (CNA) convened at the Altunizade Culture and Arts Center in Istanbul and elected the members of the First-Term Executive and Supervisory Boards.
Operating under the motto “United for a Better Future,” the CNA is an international umbrella organization officially registered in the Netherlands on August 28, 2024, under the name Circassian National Assembly (CNA). In the Circassian language, it is known as Адыгэ Лъэпкъ Хасэ (АЛъХ) (Adıǵe Ĺepk Xase).
International Circassian Conference Prior to the General Assembly Meeting
The International Circassian Conference was held in four sessions on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the Altunizade Culture and Arts Center in Istanbul. The conference focused on the establishment process of the Circassian National Assembly (CNA) and included detailed presentations on the current status of Circassian organizations worldwide, the nature of the Circassian question, the need for a new international Circassian institution, the preparatory work leading to the CNA, its organizational structure, operational methods, membership, and participation requirements. Delegates, observers, and guest participants contributed to the discussions with their questions and comments at the end of each session.
Photo 1: Participants of the International Circassian Conference in the hall
Fourth Circassian Conference Sees Strong Participation from 10 Countries
The conference was attended by leaders of volunteer organizations, delegates, observers, and guests from Türkiye, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Canada, the United States, Syria, Jordan, Kfar Kama (Israel), and the Kabardino-Balkar Republic in the Caucasus.
This was the fourth international Circassian conference convened prior to the establishment of the CNA/ÇÜM umbrella organization. The first two conferences were held in Nuremberg, Germany (2018 and 2019), and the third took place in Istanbul on June 24–27, 2022.
The Circassian National Assembly (CNA) was founded based on the statutes developed by the “Working Group for the Establishment of a World Circassian Organization in the Diaspora,” which was formed in line with the recommendations of this series of conferences. The founding documents were prepared in accordance with international organizational standards and universal human rights conventions.
Photo 2: Participants of the International Circassian Conference at dinner
Preparatory Session Prior to the Founding General Assembly Meeting
Before the official opening of the General Assembly, delegates of the founding NGOs and representatives of observer organizations convened at the Altunizade Culture and Arts Center in Istanbul for two preparatory sessions on the morning of the second day. During these sessions, participants reviewed and discussed the draft statute in detail.
The Founding General Assembly Meeting of the Circassian National Assembly (CNA) officially commenced at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 5, 2025, and proceeded in two main sessions. The Assembly elected Prof. Dr. Fethi Güngör as Chairman, Prof. Dr. Faidi Omar Mahmoud as Vice Chairman, and Yılmaz Dönmez and İbnirüşd Hacıbayram as Secretaries.
Following the review of delegate lists and proxy authorizations submitted by founding and observer civil society organizations, the statute was unanimously approved as registered, in accordance with the adopted agenda. Subsequently, the Provisional Executive Board’s Activity Report and the Income and Expenditure Statement were presented to the Assembly and approved by unanimous consent.
Photo 3: The First General Assembly of the Circassian National Assembly
CNA First-Term Executive and Supervisory Boards Elected
In accordance with Article 11 of the Circassian National Assembly (CNA) Statute, the following delegates were elected to the First-Term Executive Board:
- Dr. Nusret Baş, President, Türkiye
- Dr. Faidi Omar Mahmoud, Vice President, Germany
- Dr. Fethi Güngör, Secretary General, Türkiye
- Dr. Orfan Shouakar-Stash, Treasurer, Canada
- Nouraldin Barsbai, Member, USA
- Zakaria Napso, Member, Israel – Kfar Kama
- Sabah Tsay, Member, Netherlands
- Elbruz Aksoy, Member, Türkiye
- Majd Qat Abacı, Member, Türkiye
- Prof. Dr. Nilgün Elam, Member, Türkiye
- Mumin Hacıbayram, Member, Türkiye
The following delegates were elected to the CNA First-Term Supervisory Board:
- İlhan Temel, Türkiye
- Tina Abzakh, Sweden
- Behice Tuğçehan Erdoğan, Türkiye
Photo 4: CNA/ÇUM Management and Supervisory Board Members
65 Delegates and 12 Observer Members Representing 31 NGOs from 7 Countries Participated
On Sunday, October 5, 2025, a total of 65 delegates, representing 26 Circassian civil society organizations from seven countries, participated in the Founding General Assembly Meeting of the Circassian National Assembly (CNA) held at the Altunizade Culture and Arts Center in Istanbul.
In addition, 12 observer members, representing five organizations with observer status, attended the sessions and shared their views and recommendations during the two-day program.
Some delegates who were unable to attend in person cast their votes by proxy. The meeting concluded with a group photograph, following the presentation of the Activity Program and Estimated Budget by Secretary General Prof. Dr. Fethi Güngör, delivered on behalf of the newly elected First-Term Executive Board.
Photo 5: CNA Delegates Family Photo
Prof. Dr. Faidi Omar Mahmoud, who served as Interim Chairman of the CNA Board from August 28, 2024, to October 5, 2025, presented the chairmanship symbol (“bjhe”) to Op. Dr. Nusret Baş, the newly elected First-Term Chairman, after expressing his gratitude to all contributors. The presence of seven-month-old Sami, who attended all sessions with his parents, added a heartfelt and symbolic touch to the successful two-day gathering.
Photo 6: Presentation of “Bjhe” to the Chairman of the CNA Management Board
The Circassian National Assembly (CNA), established with the aim of enabling the Circassian people, scattered across fifty countries around the world, to build a better future, aims to defend, protect and develop the national existence, identity, culture, heritage, language, and historical rights of the Circassian people, as stated in the charter prepared by the Interim Board of Directors. To achieve these objectives, the Assembly aims to establish high-level relations with states, governments, parliaments, diplomatic missions, political parties, and international organizations.
Photo 7: CNA Interim Board Members Handing Over Their Duties
