Another meeting with representatives of Akhisga Turks was held at Azerbaijan University. The meeting organized by the Department of Azerbaijani Language and Literature is dedicated to the "Year of Shusha".

Opening the event, the head of the department Ulviya Rahimova briefed on the deportation of Akhisga Turks from their native lands - 230 villages of Akhisga region of Georgia overnight in inhumane conditions and introduced the guests to the students.

Professor of the department, Doctor of Philology Asif Hajiyev said that in the 44-day war, Akhisga Turks, like representatives of all peoples living in Azerbaijan, united as a fist for a common cause and showed great heroism in the liberation of our lands under occupation, Karabakh and Shusha. made their contributions.

Rustam Khalilov, Deputy Chairman of the Vatan Public Union of Akhisga Turks Living in Azerbaijan, spoke about the history of exile of Akhisga Turks. Rustam Khalilov said that the Akhisga region, which was part of the Ottoman state until 1920, remained part of Georgia as a result of various political processes and border changes.The Akhisga Turks, who lived in Georgia until 1944, were deported to Central Asia on November 14-15 of that year by Stalin's order. About 90,000 Akhisga Turks, who were forcibly evicted from their homes at night, were loaded into cattle wagons and sent mainly to Uzbekistan. 17,000 of them died on the roads. Until 1954, they lived under a curfew.

In his speech, the guest spoke about the state assistance provided to them to settle in different parts of Azerbaijan since 1958, and recalled the events of 1989 in Fergana, another terrible event that happened to them. Rustam Khalilov said that despite the fact that almost 30 years have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, they are unable to return to their homeland.

Although a law passed by the Georgian government in 2007 established the legal basis for the return of Akhiskali, the process did not fully resolve the problem. Rustam Khalilov also informed the participants about the activities of the "Vatan" Public Union.

Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Associate Professor Safar Mammadov noted that Azerbaijan received the Akhisgals in the 1950s, and now they live in Baku, Saatli, Sabirabad, Guba, Khachmaz and other cities. The people of Akhisgali, who consider the joy of the Azerbaijani people as their joy and their sorrow as their sorrow, also live with us the joy of the great victory of Karabakh.

Muhiddin Khalilov, Member of the Board and Head of the Akhisga Turks Vatan Public Union, Honored Cultural Worker of Azerbaijan, Member of the Azerbaijan Writers 'Union, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Vatan Public Union, Poet, Philologist Jabir Khalidov, Member of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union, Poet Hamdi Ayvazov ( Yitgun), Yusif Asimov, head of the Baku-Absheron-Sumgayit region of the Vatan Public Union, Dashdamir Ulfanov, director of the Shirinbay village secondary school in the Saatli region and one of the activists of the Vatan Public Union, spoke about their struggle to return to their student lands.

It was noted in the speeches that the Akhisga Turks, who now live in 11 countries around the world, have received great respect from the Azerbaijani people. It was noted that the victory of Karabakh makes all Akhisgals happy, and the announcement of 2022 as the "Year of Shusha" is a very significant, joyful and proud event for every person from Akhisga.

The speeches also stressed the importance of involving the history, folklore, ethno-cultural values ​​of the Akhisga Turks in research.

Poet Hamdi Ayvazov (Yitgun) sang samples of his poems at the event, and the book "Martyrs of Akhisgali" published by "Vatan" Public Union was presented to the Department of Azerbaijani Language and Literature. It was noted that in the 83rd and 44th days of the First Karabakh War, 8 Akhiska Turks were martyred.

The event was attended by a group of teachers and students of the University of Azerbaijan, the press secretary of the Akhisga Turks "Vatan" Public Union Pashali Pashaliyev, and guests from Turkey with the support of the union came to Turkey to conduct research on "Women from Akhisga."

It should be noted that 78 years have passed since the exile of Akhisga. Akhisga Turks, some of whom settled in Azerbaijan in the middle of the last century, have been actively involved in the socio-political and cultural life of our country since that time.

                                                                                                      Public Relations Department
12.05.2022