Turkish President Erdoğan recalls 'Circassian Exile' tragedy

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday remembered the deportation of Circassian people 154 years ago by Russian empire.

In his remembrance message posted on his official Twitter account, Erdoğan said: "On the 154th year of 'Circassian Exile', I wish mercy from Allah for my Caucasian brothers and sisters. We did not forget this tragedy and we never will."

Nearly 1.5 million Circassians were expelled from Caucasus region to the east of the Black Sea when it was overrun by Russia in 1864. Some 400,000-500,000 are believed to have died.