Meskhetian Turks
Meskhetian Turks, also referred to as Turkish Meskhetians, Ahiska Turks, and Turkish Ahiskans, (Turkish: Ahıska Türkleri; Georgian: მესხეთის თურქები Meskhetis turk'ebi) are a subgroup of ethnic Turkish people formerly inhabiting the Meskheti region of Georgia, along the border with Turkey. The Turkish presence in Meskheti began with the Ottoman military expedition of 1578, although Turkic tribes had settled in the region as early as the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1944 deportee population only: est. 400,000 in 1990 (excludes pre-1944 muhacirs in Turkey) current deportee population only: 500,000–600,000 (excludes pre-1944 descendants in Turkey) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Georgia | 1,500 |
| Turkey | 100,000–1,500,000 (latter including 19th and 20th century muhacir descendants) |
| Kazakhstan | 150,000–250,000 |
| Azerbaijan | 90,000–130,000 |
| Russia | 70,000–100,000 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 42,000–55,000 |
| Uzbekistan | 15,000–38,000 |
| Ukraine | 8,000–15,000 |
| United States | 9,000–16,000 |
| Northern Cyprus | 180 |
| Languages | |
| Meskhetian Turkish dialect Azerbaijani · Russian · Georgian · Kazakh | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Sunni Islam, minority Shia Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Karapapakhs | |
Today, the Meskhetian Turks are widely dispersed throughout the former Soviet Union (as well as in Turkey and the United States) due to forced deportations during World War II. At the time, the Soviet Union was preparing to launch a pressure campaign against Turkey and Joseph Stalin wanted to clear the strategic Turkish population in Meskheti who were likely to be hostile to Soviet intentions. In 1944, the Meskhetian Turks were accused of smuggling, banditry and espionage in collaboration with their kin across the Turkish border. Expelled by Joseph Stalin from Georgia in 1944, they faced discrimination and human rights abuses before and after deportation. Approximately 115,000 Meskhetian Turks were deported to Central Asia and subsequently only a few hundred have been able to return to Georgia as Georgia does not allow repatriation. Those who migrated to Ukraine in 1990 settled in shanty towns, inhabited by seasonal workers.