A regional Interior Ministry official in southwest Georgia said this was the first time such a large number of Georgian nationals have been deported from Turkey. On returning to the ex-Soviet republic, some of the deportees began a protest.
"Today some of the Georgians deported from Turkey gathered in front of the Georgian Foreign Ministry's office in Batumi and are demanding from us an answer as to why they were deported from the Turkish Republic," he said.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry said it has sent a note of protest to its Turkish counterparts, asking them to provide reasons for the decision.
Georgia and Turkey enjoy favorable visa regulations, under which Georgians can stay in Turkey for 30 days without visas, and vice versa.
