Meskhetian Turks in Turkey – News Milliyet
88 Meskhetian Turks, who set out from Kherson on 31 October to come to Turkey via Russia, entered Turkey through the Sarp Border Gate in Artvin. The delegation was welcomed by Hopa District Governor Gürkan Third, Kaçkar Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Director Recep Bilgin, with flowers and a Turkish flag by the Provincial Immigration Administration officials. Some of the families, who had their Turkey trip commemorative photograph taken, set off to Elazig by buses after the entrance procedures, and some to go to their relatives.
‘We are very happy’
Abdullah Kadir, one of the Meskhetian Turks who came to Turkey, said, “We are coming to Turkey in 18 days. May everyone be lucky to come to Turkey. We entered Turkey with our family. We are very happy,” he said. Alvida Taştanova, who came with her children, said, “Let’s say our journey went well, but we are very tired. Thank God we left everything behind and came to Turkey,” he said. Fatime Ahmetova said, “Finally, he set foot on Turkish soil. And now we have forgotten the past day” was used. Deputy Governor Abdulkerem Abbasoğlu and Provincial Director of Migration Management Rıfat Çetinkaya assigned the Meskhetian Turks from Ukraine to Elazig. The number of Meskhetian Turks in temporary shelters was 2639.
‘Welcome to your homeland!’
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will do on his Twitter account: “Our 88 Ahıska brothers, who were stranded at the end of Kherson in Ukraine and which we hosted via Russia and Georgia upon our initiatives; welcome to your homeland! We are always with our Ahıska brothers, wherever they are, and we will be with them.”