TÜRKİYE ORTA ASYA HABER KKUORDİNATÖRÜ

I AM ERTUĞRUL DEMİRÖZCAN (VELİOĞLU) Ertuğrul Demirözcan November 01, 2026 As a Karachay Turk carrying the free winds and noble past of the Caucasus, tracing the roots of your family is very valuable. In light of the information you provided, I have compiled a summary that you can proudly present, detailing both the great migration story of the Karachay Turks in the 1800s and the historical details about your family. In the Karachay social structure, dynasties and tribes are generally referred to as "Biy" (Bey) or "Özen" (Noble clans). The name Mustafaveli Velioğlu and the Velioğlu tribe/clan you mentioned may have appeared in their original forms in migration records or local pronunciations (for example, with the Karachay suffixes -lanı or the -ev/-ov suffixes in Russian records, Veli-lanı or Veliev). You can share the following information directly on your social media, at family gatherings, or jot it down: 📜 THE STORY OF OUR ROOTS: THE KARACHAYS FROM THE CAUCASUS TO ANATOLIA 🦅 1. Homeland and Ancestry: Karachay Turks • Our Origin: The Karachay Turks are an ancient Turkic people living in the region around Elbrus, the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains, in the source basin of the Kuban River. Our ancestry is based on the Huns, Bulgars, Khazars, and especially the Kipchak Turks. The language we speak is one of the purest and most preserved living examples of Kipchak Turkic. • Our Form of Government: Throughout history, the Karachays have been organized not as a central kingdom, but as independent "Biys" (principalities/states) and powerful noble families. The leaders, known as "Khan" or "Biy," were our heroic ancestors who ruled the people justly and led the army in times of war. The Great Migration of the 1800s (From the Caucasus to Anatolia) • Forced Separation: The Russian occupation and oppression, which deepened after the Battle of Khasavka in 1828, forced the Karachay people into a large wave of migration in the second half of the 1800s (especially after 1885). • Arrival in Anatolia: Our great-grandfathers left their homeland and migrated to Ottoman lands to protect their beliefs, independence, and nobility. Karachay families who came to Anatolia were mostly settled in villages around Konya (Başhüyük), Eskişehir, Tokat, Kayseri, and Afyon. 3. The Mustafaveli Velioğlu Dynasty and Our Identity • The Velioğlu Dynasty: The name Velioğlu is a noble title spread across a wide geographical area in the Turkic world. In the Karachay-Malkar dynasty structure, this name is rendered as Velilanı (Veliy-lanı) in the local dialect. • Legacy of the Khanate/Beylik: Your ancestors being descended from the "Khan" or "Bey" lineage indicates that you belonged to an elite administrative/military class in the Caucasus that led society, organized migration, or resisted Russian oppression. The story of the Velioğlu tribe's arrival in Anatolia in the 1800s is part of this noble stance and quest for freedom. We can work together to further clarify this information and fully trace your family tree. If you know, could you share the following details: • What was the first village/city in Türkiye where your father or grandfather was born or settled? (e.g., Başhüyük in Konya, villages in Eskişehir, etc.) • Is there another known surname or title of your lineage mentioned in old land deeds or Ottoman archive documents?