Geopolitical and strategic importance of Ahiska Castle during the Turkish-Russian Wars

There have been many oral and written studies about the tragic story of Ahiskan Turks who were forced to emigrate from their homeland as a result of Russian oppression and persecution, their political, economic and cultural activities, and the geopolitical importance of the region. However, the fact that these studies are insufficient in terms of information and resources has led to the idea that it is necessary to conduct an in-depth academic study on this issue. About the area, implemented a policy of expansion in the Caucasus to Russia, the history of the Meskhetian Turks, forced exposure, Ahiskali settlement of Armenians from the Turks in the vacant places, desired to be established in the east of Turkey as "Western Armenia" or "Turkey-Armenia (Armenia Turetska)" the state and the '44 deportation of the underlying causes are major issues that need to be examined in depth. The Ahiska region, which has always been important for Armenia, Georgia and Russia due to its geographical location, is also very important for Turkey due to its proximity to the border. The Turks living in the Ahiska region wanted to connect to Turkey, which they considered as their homeland, at every opportunity due to the fact that it was on the other side of the border, but they could not succeed. In this study, the geopolitical and strategic importance of the Ahiska Castle during the Ottoman-Russian wars starting from the reign of Ivan IV, Russia's political activities in the Caucasus and the reasons for the migrations from the Ahiska region are discussed. In addition, Russia's military and political activities and the path it followed in order to dominate the Turkish peoples living in the Caucasus were evaluated. In short, this study tries to shed light on the background of Russia's Caucasus policy, which resulted in the deportation of Ahiska in 1944. Keywords: Caucasus, Ottoman-Russian Wars, Georgia, Ahiska