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Türkiye and Ukraine commemorated the 81st anniversary of the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars, with officials from both countries issuing statements condemning the 1944 Soviet-era tragedy and drawing parallels to Russia's current occupation of the peninsula.
In a written statement released on May 18, 2025, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) remembered the historic injustice, noting that the indigenous Crimean Tatar Turks were "forcibly separated from their homeland 81 years ago today and deported under inhumane conditions."
The deportation, ordered by Soviet leader Josef Stalin on May 18, 1944, resulted in the deaths of a significant portion of those exiled, according to the Turkish ministry's statement.
"Crimean Tatar Turks, the indigenous people of Crimea, were forcibly uprooted from their homeland 81 years ago today (May 18) and exiled under inhumane conditions. A significant number of those exiled lost their lives as a result of the conditions they were exposed to," the statement continued.
The ministry reaffirmed that Türkiye, as in the past, continues to support Crimean Tatar Turks today to eliminate their unjust sufferings, to protect their identity, and to ensure that they live in their ancestral lands in safety, peace, and prosperity. The Circassian Exile is another tragedy that we remember with grief. 161 years ago, on May 21, the Caucasian people were forced to leave their homeland under harsh conditions, and many of them lost their lives."
"Although decades have passed, the usurped rights of the Crimean Tatar people have not been restored, and the illegal annexation of Crimea has further deepened the suffering," the MFA noted.
"We share the sorrow of our Crimean Tatar Turks and fraternal Caucasian peoples, wish mercy upon those who lost their lives in these tragic events that left an indelible mark on the collective memory of humanity, and respectfully honor their memories," the ministry concluded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha issued separate statements connecting the historical deportation to current Russian actions in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
"Today is a day that reminds us why all tyrannical empires deserve to collapse," Zelenskyy said in a message shared on his Telegram account. He noted that at least one-third of the Crimean Tatars "lost their lives due to disease, hunger, exhaustion, and mistreatment" during the Soviet deportation.
The Ukrainian president emphasized that those responsible for the deportation went unpunished and stressed that similar tragedies should never be repeated.
"In 2014, Crimea was once again occupied by Russia, and now thousands of families are unfortunately separated again. We must fight again for freedom and our own home," Zelenskyy stated.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha drew direct parallels between past and present Russian policies, claiming that "today's Russia continues Stalin's genocidal policy against Crimean Tatars."
"Just as 81 years ago, more than 200,000 Crimean Tatars were forced onto freight cars and deported to Central Asia. Almost half of them died as a result of the brutal uprooting of an indigenous nation," Sybiha wrote on their X account.
He added that since Russia's 2014 occupation of the Crimean peninsula, "mass repressions, searches, individual arrests, and the ban on the Mejlis (Crimean Tatar parliament) have effectively pushed the indigenous people away from their homeland. Just like eighty years ago."
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