Türkiye speeds up Ahiska Turks' citizenship process: President Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Türkiye is accelerating the process for Ahiska Turks, also known as Meskhetian Turks, to gain Turkish citizenship.

Speaking at a gathering of Ahiska Turks in New York, President Erdogan said Türkiye does not regard their peace and well-being as distinct from its own citizens.

"We are taking the necessary steps for them to acquire Turkish citizenship, which they have desired for years, and we are accelerating that process," he said.

"Since 2022, 820 of our kinsmen have attained Turkish citizenship. We will quickly complete our work for our 578 kinsmen whose procedures are still ongoing," President Erdogan said.

"Before our term, the number of Meskhetian Turks who were granted citizenship was very limited. In our term, this number has surpassed 60,000."​​​​​​​

Ahiska Turks were expelled from the Meskheti region of Georgia by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1944.

They also faced discrimination and human rights abuses before and after the Soviet deportation.

Discussing the 'Middle Corridor'

Erdogan received Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at the Turkevi Center, or Turkish House, in New York City, where they discussed the importance of implementing the Middle Corridor.

Erdogan highlighted the swift operationalisation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as a key priority, according to the Turkish Presidency.

The Trans-Caspian East-West-Middle Corridor Initiative, also known as “the Middle Corridor,” which begins in Türkiye and passes through the Caucasus region via Georgia and Azerbaijan, crosses the Caspian Sea, traverses Central Asia and reaches China, is one of the most important components of efforts to revive the ancient Silk Road, according to Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Closing FETO schools

During their meeting, Erdogan also thanked Georgia for its support after the major earthquakes in Türkiye in February, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.

Erdogan also stressed the importance of closing schools run by the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) in Georgia and freezing their assets and congratulated the Georgian administration for the steps taken on this issue, according to the statement.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of increasing the trade volume between Türkiye and Georgia from $3 billion to $5 billion.