[Ozzy]

Under Soviet Russia there were many Turkic people and in WW2 they were drafted (estimated over 150ooo) into the army and fought battles againt Nazi Germany. Ahıska Türks (in English Meskhetian Turks) from teenagers to men as old as 40s also took part in the conflict. They joined the ranks (estimated over 40ooo) of the Soviets without any resistance, in fact many of them were thinking they were defending their villages from a possible Nazi invasion. Some of them went as far as into to Germany, survivors recieved medals from Soviet army.

But after the war was over (well actually in 1944 July), sufferings of the Ahiska Türks started. Stalin decided to deport all of the Ahiska Türks to into the middle Asia. The Soviet army marched into villages, gave the people 2 hours to prepare for the journey. It was a suprise for the people. Soldiers kicked out the families who were resisted, they couldnt understand why, war veterans tried to reason with the soldiers, showed their medals of honour given by the same army who now trying to get rid of them.

People (estimated over 110ooo, not included people who are managed to escape into Türkiye) were stuffed on freight trains until there were no space left in the wagons. They travelled without food or water, save what they could have gathered/carried with them. Army only stopped the trains once a day to throw away the death ones (estimated over 30ooo). And when they arrived (took one and half month) the destitaion (Kazakistan, Özbekistan and Kırgızistan), they were left to fend for themself. The locals treated them with prejudice, Ahiska Türks had to prove their Turkishness.

Kara Aliyev who was 103 years old in 2003 says "...later we arrived to Kazakhstan, we were left alone there; no house, no food. For 3-4 years we couldnt recovered..." He was a war veteran who fought in Ukraine front.

Ensar Osmanoğlu who was 84 years old in 2003 says "...they gave me medals but then they took my family..." refering the deaths of his family. He was a war veteran who fought in German(?Berlin?) front.

Yirgat Yusubov who was 82 years old in 2003 says "...when I returned home from war, I found my village is habited by Armenians and Georgian so I went to Kazakhstan to find my family..." He was a war veteran who fought in German(?Berlin?) front.

Why communist regime did that? What was the official reason?
But anyway today some say Stalin feared from the succes of Turkish brigade during the war. Some say Stalin feared a possible influence from Türkiye. Some say this was a plan to spread the minorities along the country. Some say it is part of a greater plan to put minorities against each other, to let them eat each other up. Some say regime didnt want muslim communities on its borders.

Can this be labeled as death march? An ethnic cleanness? A genocide? Should or did Russia paid compensation to current survivors? Nevertheless it is a tragedy. What did Ahiska Turks do wrong?

Disclamier: This isnt copy/paste but either my own words or rough translations done by me.