Erdoğan marks 81st anniversary of Crimean Tatar deportation
"On the 81st anniversary of their forced exile from their ancestral homeland, I solemnly remember the pain endured by our Crimean Tatar brothers and sisters, and I pray for mercy upon our compatriots who lost their lives during the deportation," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on X.
- World
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 04:56 | 18 May 2025
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commemorated Sunday the 81st anniversary of the Crimean Tatar deportation with a message of solidarity.
"On the 81st anniversary of their forced exile from their ancestral homeland, I solemnly remember the pain endured by our Crimean Tatar brothers and sisters, and I pray for mercy upon our compatriots who lost their lives during the deportation," Erdoğan said on X.
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.
"As Türkiye, we will continue to stand by our Crimean brothers, sisters and defend their rights at all times," the Turkish president concluded his message.