Friday Talks: The Ahıska Deportation in its 80th Year

This week, as the Academics' Union, we hosted two highly esteemed professors at our traditional ‘Friday Talks’ event: Prof. Dr. Ali Asker and Dr. Sinan Demirtürk. In their talks entitled ‘The 80th Anniversary of the Ahiska Deportation,’ our professors shared with the participants their in-depth analysis of this painful event in our history, covering both the deportation process and its effects that continue to this day.

The deportation of the Ahiska Turks from their homeland to Central Asia by the Soviet Union in 1944 is one of the largest forced migrations in history. While examining the historical background and political and social dimensions of this tragic event, our professors reminded us of the deep scars left on humanity by the deportation. At the same time, the Ahıska Turks' struggle for survival after the deportation, their efforts to preserve their identity and culture, and their dispersal across various countries were discussed in detail.

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Ali Asker and Dr. Sinan Demirtürk for this meaningful conversation, as well as all participants who showed interest in our event.