Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Georgia (historic Meskheti) · Caucasus
Meskhetian Turks, also called Ahıska Turks, are Turkish-speaking Muslims from Meskheti, a mountainous region of southern Georgia on the border with Turkey. In 1944 the whole community was deported by the Soviet authorities to Central Asia, and today its members live mainly in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and the United States. In our model, the Meskhetian average is 43.0% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 34.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 8.7% Iranian Neolithic, 5.6% steppe-related, 4.5% Levantine Neolithic and 4.1% Natufian, almost the same as central Georgians (42.1% Caucasus hunter-gatherer in the Kartlian average), with no East Asian component, unlike Central Anatolian Turks (7.6%). The nearest modern averages are Meskhetians from Ardahan (distance 0.0083), then Georgians from Kartli (0.0135) and Kakheti, closer than a second Meskhetian sample from Georgia, followed by the Laz. The closest ancient groups are Late Antique and early medieval people from Klde (0.0173) and Khimshiaant in Georgia, a sign of deep roots in the region.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Caucasus hunter-gatherers 43.0%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 34.1%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 8.7%
- Closest non-Meskhetian population in our data: Georgian (Kart), distance 0.0135
- Closest ancient group in our data: Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid), distance 0.0173
Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) individuals sampled in Georgia (historic Meskheti), listed in the G25 sheet as "Turkish_Ahiska". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average comes out as 43.0% Caucasus hunter-gatherers, 34.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 8.7% Iranian Neolithic farmers. The Caucasus hunter-gatherers component reflects the hunter-gatherers of the Caucasus, a deep ancestry shared by the Caucasus, Anatolia and the Iranian plateau. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (34.1%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of Levantine Neolithic farmers and Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.029): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Anadolu – Anatolian Crossroads Report
Closest modern populations to Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska)
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Turkish (Meskhetian Ardahan) first for Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska), at 0.008, then Georgian (Kart) and Georgian (Kakhetian). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Georgian (Kart) (0.014), Georgian (Kakhetian) (0.017) and Laz (0.018). Even the tenth closest, Mingrelian (Nosiri), is only 0.027 away: Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkish (Meskhetian Ardahan) | 0.0083 | Very close |
| 2 | Georgian (Kart) | 0.0135 | Very close |
| 3 | Georgian (Kakhetian) | 0.0166 | Very close |
| 4 | Turkish (Meskhetian Georgia) | 0.0171 | Very close |
| 5 | Laz | 0.0178 | Very close |
| 6 | Georgian (Laz) | 0.0180 | Very close |
| 7 | Andian (A) | 0.0208 | Very close |
| 8 | Armenian (Hemsheni) | 0.0255 | Close |
| 9 | Mingrelian (Abasha) | 0.0268 | Close |
| 10 | Mingrelian (Nosiri) | 0.0270 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska)
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average is Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid) (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD), at 0.017, followed by Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Arsacid-Chosroid) and Georgia Early Medieval Khuntsi. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0173 |
| 2 | Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Arsacid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0222 |
| 3 | Georgia Early Medieval Khuntsi | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0228 |
| 4 | Georgia Early Medieval Zhinvali | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0233 |
| 5 | Georgia Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Zhinvali (Pharnavazid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0238 |
| 6 | Georgia Late Antiquity Zhinvali (Arsacid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0241 |
| 7 | Georgia Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Khtsisi (Pharnavazid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0251 |
| 8 | Georgia Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Samtavro (Pharnavazid-Chosroid) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0254 |
| 9 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Lafanaantkari (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0259 |
| 10 | Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Fiqris Gora (Chosroid) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0262 |
Ancient DNA from Georgia
Our ancient DNA database holds 253 individuals excavated in present-day Georgia, dated from about 24,400 BC to 1954 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J2a (30), G2a (22) and I2a (20), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are T2 (27), K1 (16) and U3 (16). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 253 from Georgia.
Compare yourself with Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
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About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska). Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average. Your own DNA has its own story: Anadolu – Anatolian Crossroads Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for the peoples of Anatolia: six era models from Neolithic Barcın and the Hittite Bronze Age through Byzantine Anatolia, with the signature Medieval Turkic Arrival % (the Seljuk-era Central Asian layer, the closest measurable...
More populations from Caucasus
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average is about 43.0% Caucasus hunter-gatherers, 34.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 8.7% Iranian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Turkish (Meskhetian Ardahan)), the closest modern populations to the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average are Georgian (Kart), Georgian (Kakhetian) and Laz. The closest ancient matches are Georgia Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Klde (Chosroid), Georgia Late Antiquity Khimshiaant (Arsacid-Chosroid) and Georgia Early Medieval Khuntsi.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) ancestry?
For the Meskhetian Turk (Ahıska) average, the regional report to choose is Anadolu – Anatolian Crossroads Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.