1944 Ahiska Turks Exile: 81st Anniversary Commemoration
🇹🇷 Türkiye Marks 81st Anniversary of Ahiska Turks’ 1944 Exile
🕯️ Türkiye has commemorated the 81st anniversary of the forced deportation of nearly 100,000 Ahiska (Meskhetian) Turks from Georgia’s Ahiska region in 1944 — one of the lesser-known mass displacements of the Soviet era.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the date, recalling the scale of the tragedy and expressing solidarity with Ahiska communities worldwide. He noted that the suffering endured during the deportation “remains deeply felt,” as thousands died from hunger, cold, and disease during the long journey to Central Asia.
📅 November 14, 1944: Nearly 100,000 people deported | Estimated 17,000 perished
In a statement, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry highlighted that on November 14, 1944, Soviet authorities expelled almost the entire Ahiska Turkish population from their ancestral homeland, sending them to remote regions across the Soviet Union. The ministry emphasized that, despite the hardships, the surviving community managed to preserve its cultural identity, language, and traditions.
“The suffering endured during the deportation remains deeply felt, as thousands died from hunger, cold, and disease during the long journey to Central Asia.”
Türkiye also reiterated its expectation that the long-standing process enabling Meskhetian Turks to return to their historical homeland in Georgia will progress constructively.
📊 Historians estimate that around 17,000 people died during the deportation, which lasted more than a month and affected families of all ages.
🌟 Despite immense challenges, the Ahiska Turkish community has preserved its unique cultural heritage and continues to maintain its identity across generations.
