Laz people

independent Lazistan

In modern turkey, this South Caucasian ethnic group (Black Sea area) isn´t that well known and not officially recognized.Many Laz of origin didn´t identify with them and those, who speak the language, are very few (despite Attatürk was a Laz himself).However, there is a common stereotype in turkey , jokingly reffered as "Temel", a redhaired, fair skinned akward fellow( compareable to the Redneck stereotype maybe). The Laz had been originally Christians under Byzantine rule but were conquered by the Ottomans in the 14th century and are related to the Migrelians allegedly. Prior to that, there had been independent Christian Laz kingdoms. What interesting Pods could be made with this ethnic group ?
 
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Maybe a Laz pretender becomes an Ottoman sultan?

Or even a People's Socialist Republic of Lazistan?

Creative ideas, maybe if the Bolsheviks go into Turkey and occupy the Black Sea coasts + Dardanelles thus creating the People´s Socialist Republic of Lazistan ?

A Laz pretender would be interesting, too.
 
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Here's my humble idea: How about Russia successfully convinced the Laz that their northern "brothers" (Georgians) were more important than the Ottomans and their territory was annexed by St. Petersburg after the Russo-Turkish Wars?
 
Here's my humble idea: How about Russia successfully convinced the Laz that their northern "brothers" (Georgians) were more important than the Ottomans and their territory was annexed by St. Petersburg after the Russo-Turkish Wars?

On the other hand Laz are Sunni Muslims (the Georgian Christians)and loyal to the Ottoman Empire, so they wouldn´t be satisfied by an artifical identity. They would likely rebel, for they have a warrior tradition.
 
On the other hand Laz are Sunni Muslims (the Georgian Christians) and loyal to the Ottoman Empire, so they wouldn´t be satisfied by an artifical identity. They would likely rebel, for they have a warrior tradition.
That's the major problem, I admit.
 
In modern turkey, this south Caucasian ethnic group (Black Sea area) isn´t that well known and not officially recognized.Many Laz of origin didn´t identify with them and those, who speak the language, are very few (despite Attatürk was a Laz himself).However, there is a common stereotype in turkey , jokingly reffered as "Temel", a redhaired, fair skinned akward fellow( compareable to the Redneck stereotype maybe). The Laz had been originally Christians under Byzantine rule but were conquered by the Ottomans in the 14th century and are related to the Migrelians allegedly. Prior to that, there had been independent Christian Laz kingdoms. What interesting Pods could be made with this ethnic group ?

The thought of an early independent Lazistan is interesting , though. Laz maintaining their South Caucasian Migrelian roots and language despite Turkified and Sunni Muslim.
 
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