Türkiye on Sunday commemorated the anniversaries of the Crimean Tatar and Circassian exiles, honoring the suffering of both communities and reaffirming its ongoing support.
“We share the sorrow of our Crimean Tatar Turks and fraternal Caucasian peoples, wish mercy upon those who lost their lives in these tragic events that left an indelible mark on the collective memory of humanity, and respectfully honor their memories,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the 81st anniversary of the expulsion of Crimean Tatars.
On May 18, 1944, Soviet authorities under Joseph Stalin deported more than 190,000 Crimean Tatars from their homeland to Central Asia, accusing them of collaborating with Nazi Germany during World War II.
The deportation was carried out in sealed freight trains under brutal conditions. Nearly half of those exiled died from hunger, disease, and exhaustion.
“Crimean Tatar Turks, the indigenous people of Crimea, were forcibly uprooted from their homeland 81 years ago today (May 18) and exiled under inhumane conditions. A significant number of those exiled lost their lives as a result of the conditions they were exposed to,” the ministry said.
“Although decades have passed, the usurped rights of the Crimean Tatar people have not been restored and the illegal annexation of Crimea has further deepened the suffering.”
Reaffirming Türkiye’s continued backing, the ministry said: “Türkiye, as in the past, continues to support Crimean Tatar Turks today to eliminate their unjust sufferings, to protect their identity and to ensure that they live in their ancestral lands in safety, peace and prosperity.”
The ministry also marked the 161st anniversary of the Circassian exile, which began on May 21, 1864, following the end of the Russo-Circassian War. The Russian Empire forcibly expelled hundreds of thousands of Circassians from the North Caucasus, most of whom were sent to the Ottoman Empire.
“The Circassian Exile is another tragedy that we remember with grief. 161 years ago, on May 21, the Caucasian people were forced to leave their homeland under harsh conditions and many of them lost their lives.”
The expulsion, carried out under violent and inhumane conditions, resulted in mass deaths and is widely considered one of the largest ethnic cleansings of the 19th century.