Meeting Between Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Leader of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People Mustafa Jemilev

14 September 2012

On September 13, 2012 in the afternoon the Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic came to Crimea in the framework of his official visit to Ukraine.

As reported, at the same day the meeting between the Turkish Prime Minister and the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, as well as the Second meeting of Ukraine-Turkish Strategic Council was held at the high level in Kyiv.

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep TayyipErdogan and his wife Emine hanum, as well as the members of Turkish delegation, including the Vice-Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, Head of the Foreign Agency Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister of Defense Ismet Yilmaz, Minister of Transport and Communication Binali Yildirim, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Zafer Chalgayan, and other official persons were met in Crimean Airport Belbek by the Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev and his First Deputy, the President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov.

The delegation that met the Turkish guests also included the honored Consul of Turkey in Crimea Seyran Osmanov, the Chancellor of the Crimean Engineering – Pedagogical University Fevzi Yakubov, advisor of Mejlis’ Leader Ismet Yuksel, the representative of Mejlis in Turkey Zafer Qaratay, the founder of the first independent Crimean Tatar TV channel “ATR” Lenur Islyamov, Head of Board of Crimean International Business-Association Aslan Umerov and President of the Charitable organization “Foundation for Development of Crimea” Rustem Umerov.

Already at the first meeting in the airport there was a brief dialogue between the Prime Minister of Turkey and Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev. Greeting the Head of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev, Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed his special respect to him and invited him and members of Crimean Tatar delegation to his residence to continue the dialogue.

The Head of Turkish Government was also accompanied by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Turkish Republic to Ukraine Mehmat Samsar, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Turkish Republic Sergey Korsunsky, as well as the General Consul of the Turkish Republic in Odessa Husein Ergan.

The official meeting between the Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev and the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan was held in the Hotel “Sosnovaya Roscha” in Gaspra settlement where the Turkish delegation accommodated.

The meeting was also attended by the Vice-Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic Bekir Bozdag, the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmed Davutoglu, as well as the First Vice Chairman of Mejlis, the President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov and Chancellor of Crimean Engineering – Pedagogical University Fevzi Yakubov.

During the meeting the parties discussed the issues, relating to the implementation of a range of cultural and social programs in Crimea, including the construction of schools, broadening of the material and technical basis of Crimean Engineering – Pedagogical University, the construction of Buyuk Juma Jami (Central Mosque) in Aqmescit (Simferopol).

Later the members of the official Crimean Tatar delegation, including the advisor of Mejlis’ Leader Ismet Yuksel, representative of Mejlis in Turkey Zafer Qaratay, the founder of the first independent Crimean Tatar TV channel “ATR” Lenur Islyamov, Head of Board of Crimean International Business-Association Aslan Umerov and President of the Charitable organization “Foundation for Development of Crimea” Rustem Umerov joined the meeting between the Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev and the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In conclusion of the meeting that lasted more than half an hour its participants underscored the importance of strengthening of friendly relations between Ukraine and Turkey that would undoubtedly also promote the solution of the issues, relating to the revival and development of the Crimean Tatar people, returning to its Homeland.