Ankara: Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the forced exile of Ahiska Turks from Georgia, the Turkish foreign minister on Thursday reaffirmed Ankara's ongoing support for the community worldwide. "We strongly support the successful completion of the journey for Ahiska Turks to return to their homeland," Hakan Fidan said on X, expressing condolences to those who lost their lives during the exile and voicing empathy for those forcibly displaced. According to Anadolu Agency, on November 14, 1944, approximately a hundred thousand Ahiska Turks were exiled from their homeland in Georgia's Ahiska region, where they had lived for centuries. The Turkish foreign minister stated that Trkiye is implementing various initiatives to assist the ethnic Turkish people both domestically and abroad. Fidan noted that Ankara is "continuously monitoring the situation of the Ahiska Turks, especially through the Council of Europe, on international platforms, and in our engagements with Georgian authorities." To support Ahiska f amilies still residing in Georgia, Trkiye has launched projects aimed at economic stability and offers scholarships to Ahiska youth. Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, Trkiye has aided Ahiska Turks in reaching Trkiye safely, Fidan remarked. He pledged to support the community of over 500,000 Ahiska Turks worldwide, emphasizing the commitment to help them preserve their unity and identity for future generations. Ahiska Turks, also known as Meskhetian Turks, were expelled from the Meskheti region of Georgia by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1944.