Circassians, Abkhaz mark anniversary of expulsion

The Circassian and Abkhazian communities living in Turkey marked the 153rd anniversary of the expulsion and ethnic cleansing of their people by the Russian Empire that led to the deaths of around a half a million Circassians and other community members while changing the demographics of the Caucasus region.

As the Ottoman Empire was declining at the end of the 18th century, Russia extended its borders into the Caucasus, meeting stiff resistance from the Muslim people of northern Caucasus, namely the Circassians (also known as the Adyghe people), the Abkhazians and the Chechens.

After a century of war and uprisings, embodied in the legendary leader Sheikh Shamil, Russia finally subdued the region, massacring the local population and forcing them into exile in the Ottoman Empire.

Most Circassians were herded onto ships to be transferred from the northeastern shores of the Black Sea to Anatolia. Thousands perished due to hunger and thirst, while many died when their ships sank.

An estimated 300,000 to 4 million people perished as a result.

Turkey has a well-integrated Turkish-Circassian community living within its borders, with a population ranging from 1.5 to 3 million, mainly concentrated in the northern provinces of Samsun, Amasya, Tokat and the northwestern provinces of Sakarya, Kocaeli, Balıkesir and Kütahya.