ANKARA
Turkey's Foreign Ministry marked the 151st anniversary of the expulsion of Circassian people and their ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Russian empire at that time.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement Thursday offered condolences to the families of those who died in the 1864 tragedy.
"We call on the world to leave a bright and peaceful future for the next generations, within the scope of a just memory," the statement said.
Circassians suffered a lot under the Russian empire and were subjected to ethnic cleansing. The1864 war near Sochi resulted in a defeat for Circassians and saw the Russian empire invade all of Caucasia. According to unofficial figures, nearly 1.5 million Circassians were expelled from their lands and between 400,000 to 500,000 of them died.
The expelled Circassians mainly inhabited Anatolia and Rumelia; some of them also migrated to Syria and Jordan.
The Russian Federation continues to block the way back for banished Circassians, while Circassians want to start legal proceedings to return home.
They also want a dual citizenship from Russia and want May 21 to be recognized as the day of the "Circassian genocide and exile."
