At the Kyrgyz-Turkish University "Manas," a commemorative event was held dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the deportation of the Meskhetian Turks from their historical territories in modern Georgia. This tragic act was carried out on Stalin's orders on November 14, 1944.
The event began with a photo exhibition titled "The City of Akhalkalaki," showcasing contemporary photographs of Akhaltsikhe (now known as Samtskhe-Javakheti). The exhibition immersed viewers in the atmosphere of the hometown of the displaced families, demonstrating its changes over time.
Participants were then shown a documentary film "Akhalkalaki," which narrated the history of the Meskhetian Turks in Kyrgyzstan and the support they received from local residents. The film raised important questions about the scale of the tragedy and the difficulties faced by the displaced families.
The highlight of the evening was a theatrical performance titled "The Deportation of the Meskhetian Turks."
Nazir Aliyev, the author and director of the play and a descendant of the deported, noted that this work holds deep significance for him:
“We must remind the youth of the suffering of our ancestors. This pain cannot be forgotten, but we must remember it to appreciate peace, our homeland, and human support. Art allows us to convey what cannot be expressed merely by dates in history,” Aliyev shared.
He also emphasized the importance of the Kyrgyz people in the fate of the displaced:
“Our ancestors said: if it weren't for the Kyrgyz people, we would not have survived. We were welcomed as people in need of help, not as strangers. We will always remember what they did for us,” the director added.
The performance recreated the tragic night of November 14, 1944, when families were forcibly evicted from Georgia to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Through the fates of individual families, the audience could feel the experiences of the people: men returning from the front found emptiness and missing loved ones.
The production also depicted the first meeting of the displaced Meskhetian Turks with the Kyrgyz people. The use of both Turkish and Kyrgyz languages enhanced the emotional depth and allowed the audience to feel the full extent of the pain, hope, and journeys of the displaced families.
The theatrical art helped not only to tell the story of the tragedy but also to experience it alongside the characters of the play.
The event concluded with readings of poems on the theme "Longing for the Homeland" and speeches from honored guests. Participants exchanged impressions and discussed the importance of preserving the memory of their past during the reception.
Students and faculty from the university, entrepreneurs, as well as individuals who experienced the deportation and their families participated in the event. The organizers, the Union of the Youth of the Turks of Kyrgyzstan, emphasized the need to strengthen ties between the Kyrgyz and Turkish peoples through the preservation of a shared memory of the difficult pages of history.
