Circassian exile remembered with tears on 159th anniversary

ANKARA

Sunday marked 159 years since Tsarist Russia exiled the Circassian people, a Caucasian ethnic group, from the Caucasus region on May 21, 1863.

According to unofficial figures, close to 1.5 million Circassians were deported within a month, with about 500,000 having lost their lives due to factors such as road conditions, disease, and starvation.

Circassian communities were exiled to various parts of the world, especially the Ottoman Empire, as Tsarist Russia continued its expansion toward the Black Sea region.

Those exiled were put on ships from Black Sea ports such as Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Sochi, and Adler, and many resettled in Anatolian cities such as Ordu, Samsun, Tokat, Amasya, Sinop, Yozgat, Duzce, Adapazari, and Kocaeli.

Some Circassians also settled in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Palestine, where they integrated with the local population over time.

Meanwhile, those who could not be exiled to the Ottoman Empire were settled in Russian Cossack villages in areas near the Laba and Kuban rivers.

The Circassian exile is described as “one of the most painful events in history,” and is remembered by Circassians living in Türkiye every year.

In commemoration of the exile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that the Turkish people still feel “the great pain of our Circassian brothers.”

“I commemorate with mercy all our brothers and sisters who lost their lives on the anniversary of their exile from their homeland of the Caucasus by inhumane methods,” Erdogan further said.​​​​​​​

• Circassian
• Exile
• Ottoman Empire
• Tsarist Russia