In Turkey, protest action "Circassians extinguish Olympic Flame" gathered 1200 people

The protest against the Sochi Olympics, held in Ankara on February 1 under the motto "Circassians extinguish Olympic Flame", was attended by 1200 people.

The action was organized by the Federation of Caucasian Societies in Turkey (known as KAFFED).

Yashar Aslankay, the head of the Federation, has stated in his press release that "the city of Sochi is associated with the truth that was forgotten; or they tried to make people to forget it," the Turkish edition sondakika.com quoted his words on February 1.

"The city of Sochi has special importance for the Circassians and all the mankind. Krasnaya Polyana is the place where on May 21, 1864, Russian Empire held a parade in honour of the victory in the 101-year-long Caucasian War, which resulted in destruction and expulsion of Circassians from their homeland. As a result of the war waged among unequal opponents and of the genocide, the Caucasus was cleared of Circassians, 1.5 million of whom were forcibly expelled to the territory of the Ottoman Empire," said Yashar Aslankay.

According to his story, "hundreds of thousands of Circassians died from hunger, diseases and poverty on the roads of expulsion."

After the statement announced by the leader of the KAFFED, the protesters lit a symbolic Olympic Flame and then demonstratively extinguished it.