Türkiye on Sunday commemorated the anniversaries of the Crimean Tatar and Circassian exiles, honoring the struggling of each communities and reaffirming its ongoing help.
“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 stated in an announcement on the 81st anniversary of the expulsion of Crimean Tatars.
On May 18, 1944, Soviet authorities underneath Joseph Stalin deported greater than 190,000 Crimean Tatars from their homeland to Central Asia, accusing them of collaborating with Nazi Germany throughout World War II.
The deportation was carried out in sealed freight trains underneath brutal circumstances. Nearly half of these exiled died from starvation, illness, 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 stated.
“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 stated: “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 additionally marked the 161st anniversary of the Circassian exile, which started on May 21, 1864, following the tip of the Russo-Circassian War. The Russian Empire forcibly expelled a whole bunch of 1000’s of Circassians from the North Caucasus, most of whom have been despatched 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 underneath violent and inhumane circumstances, resulted in mass deaths and is broadly thought-about one of many largest ethnic cleansings of the nineteenth century.
Source: www.anews.com.tr