The Boraltan Bridge Massacre or the Boraltan Disaster is the massacre that took place after the return of 195 Soviet soldiers of Azerbaijani origin who took refuge in Turkey to the Soviet Union in 1945, within the framework of the principle of reciprocity.
Turkey requested from the Soviets an officer and two of his soldiers who had taken refuge in the Soviet territory on the basis of reciprocity. When the Soviets declared that no traces of the soldiers could be found and did not return them, Turkey stopped the return of some of the soldiers who were on their way. Turkey also accepted the principle of granting Turkish citizenship to asylum seekers of Turkish origin.
Soviet soldiers of Azerbaijani origin in the border post had taken refuge in Turkey by crossing the Boraltan Bridge on the Aras River, but were returned upon the request of the Soviet Union, by the order of the government, within the scope of reciprocity.
The issue of the Boraltan Bridge Massacre was brought up for the first time in 1951 by the Democrat Party Tekirdağ deputy Şevket Mocan and caused various discussions.
Where is Boraltan Bridge?
Boraltan Bridge, where the massacre took place as a result of the return of 195 Soviet soldiers of Azerbaijani origin to the Soviet Union within the framework of the principle of reciprocity, is on the Aras River, which is close to the border gate in Iğdır. It is also known as Serdarabat Bridge.