President of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev, declared “31st of May as Commemoration Day of the Victims of Political Pressure and Totalitarian Regime” by signing the decision in 1997.
According to the population census of 1917, the number of Kazakh Turks was above 6 million, whereas it declined to 2 million 300 thousand according to the 1939 census.
Sources show that, in Kazakhstan between the years of 1919-1922 nearly 1 million and between 1930-1933, 1 million 750 thousand (40 per cent of the population) Kazakh Turks were killed by shot due to the riots to the brutal government and totalitarian regime or beacuse of starvation.
We deeply feel the great tragedy of Kazakh Turks in our heart and commemorate all our martyrs and victims with deep respect.
Ambassador Ramil Hasanov
Turkic Council Secretary General
