Since Russia declared war on Ukraine, civilians remain the most affected party, and Meskhetian Turks are among them.
Thanks to the efforts of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Meskhetian Turks were evacuated from Ukraine by land to be brought back to their homeland.
Some 90 people on two buses carrying Meskhetian Turks, mostly women, and children, were taken out of the city of Mykolaiv, where there is a hot conflict raging currently. The bus entered Turkey the Hamzabeyli Border Gate, which is an opening into the neighboring country Bulgaria. The arriving convoy was welcomed by experts from the Provincial Immigration Administration.
Women who fled with their young children were happy to be leaving the war zone but were sad to have left their husbands and children above the age of 18 behind.
Züleyha Izatova told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they were experiencing a hard time in the region they lived because of the bombings.
Expressing her sorrow, Izatova said: "We were able to come, but my three sons, aged 22, 26, and 27, and my husband stayed there. We managed to save our lives but half of our hearts and minds are there."
"There was conflict everywhere. Russian soldiers come with tanks and drop bombs," she added.
Highlighting Turkey's support for the Meskhetian Turks, Izatova thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkey for their kind support.
Another Meskhetian Turk, Makbule Emirsheeva expressed her concern for her relatives they had to leave behind. "May Allah be pleased with Turkey. You took care of us. We went through very difficult things there. I hope the war will end as soon as possible," she said.
Gülistan Izatova also expressed her gratitude to Turkey, which brought them out of the firing line. She said that their houses also suffered damage due to the explosions.
