Introduction. This article examines the process of adaptation of the Ahiska Turks in Kazakhstan after the abolition of the special settlement regime in 1956. Particular importance is attached to the analysis of those conditions under which the lifting of restrictions on movement was not accompanied by the granting of the right to return to their former place of residence, which significantly affected the specifics of their social status. The impact of socio-political factors on the formation of adaptation strategies and the maintenance of ethnic identity among the deported population is also considered. Purpose and objectives. The purpose of this study is to analyze the specifics of the adaptation of the Ahiska Turks in Kazakhstan in the period after the abolition of the special regime. The following tasks were set as part of the work: to identify social and political factors influencing the adaptation process; to analyze the importance of language, religious practices and family relations for maintaining ethnic identity; to study the mechanisms of collective memory formation; to conduct a comparative analysis of adaptation processes in various states of the post-Soviet space. Materials and methods. This research is based on the study of archival materials and existing scientific publications. Comparative historical analysis and content analysis of documents were used as a methodological basis; additionally, the principles of the psychohistorical approach were applied to identify the links between the historical context and the manifestations of behavioral patterns. Results. The analysis showed that the adaptation of the Ahiska Turks took place on several levels and was characterized by a combination of integration processes with the preservation of ethno-cultural identity. The study revealed that the main importance for successful adaptation was ethnic solidarity, religious rituals, family and kinship relations, as well as bilingualism, which played an important role in maintaining ethnic identity in a changed social environment. Conclusion. The adaptation of the Ahiska Turks in Kazakhstan after 1956 was characterized by the complexity that arose at the junction of the external limitations and internal capabilities of this ethnic community. The analysis of the data obtained contributes to a more accurate understanding of the specifics of the process of adaptation of deported peoples within the framework of the Soviet and subsequent post-Soviet reality.