The “Special Legal Status of Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (Gagauz Eri)” has been declared 25 years ago, on 23rd of December 1994. Since then, gagauz people have always protected and respected their right for self-determination, stated in the Article 111 of Constitution of Republic of Moldova. This status has provided a legal background for Gagauz people to use their own language, express and present their culture, thus respecting their deep Turkic roots.
A series of historical events that took place by late 1980s has marked a new era – the era of the formation of modern Gagauzia.
In 1988, the efforts of the patriots of the Gagauz people, with the support of representatives of national minorities in the region, created the social and cultural movement “Gagauz Halki”, which led the national-patriotic aspirations of the Gagauz people and in May 1989 the I Extraordinary Congress has been organized, which voiced demands for the creation Gagauz autonomy in the south of Moldova with the capital in Comrat. On November 12, 1989, the Second Extraordinary Congress of the Gagauz People at which the GASSR (Gagauz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) was proclaimed as part of the MSSR.
The next important stage in the history of the formation of modern Gagauzia was the proclamation of the Gagauz Republic on August 19, 1991, and a week later the RM adopted the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, we can safely say that the proclamation of the Gagauz republic was a historically substantiated event in the regional history and the history of the Gagauz people.
The Gagauz Republic existed in conditions of constant tough confrontation with the national leadership of the Republic of Moldova until December 1994. In autumn 1994, the new Constitution of the Republic of Moldova was adopted, and on December 23, 1994, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted the Law “On the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia (Gagauz Yeri)”, which is reflected in Art. 111 of the Constitution of Moldova.
For the first time in history, the Gagauz people got the opportunity to realize their centuries-old aspirations: to express themselves, write and study in the native language of their ancestors; founded their homeland on the territory of Republic of Moldova; got the opportunity to issue laws and monitor their implementation.
Thanks to those events and people who have dedicated themselves to serving the Gagauz people, we got the opportunity to study the history, cultural heritage and our native language; we have got a Motherland, which cares, protects, and needs our support for the future of coming generations. This should not be forgotten!
