Dinner in Cologne in Honor of Mejlis Leader Mustafa Jemilev

03 May 2013

On April 26, 2013, in the evening the Crimean Tatar diaspora in Germany gave the dinner in honor of the visit of the delegation of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people, headed by the Leader of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev to Cologne.

The event was attended by the heads of Turkish and Muslim communities of Germany, representatives of the leading Turkish Mass Media in Europe. The host of the meeting was the member of the Coordinating Council of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars in Germany Ahmet Ozai.

The dinner was attended by: Halil Habipoglu – the Head of European Federation of Turks of Western Thrace (ABTTF) and his deputy Mustafa Kasap, Muhharem Kızılkaya– the Head of the Association “Alperen Ocaklari”, Erdem Buyrukci – newspaper “Aydinlik”, Ihsan Oner – the President of the European Turk-Islamic Union, Rafet Karanlik – the Head of Crimean Tatar center of culture and cooperation in Europe, Husein Donmez – journalist, Crimean Tatar Committee in Belgium, Erfan Kara – the member of the City Council of Cologne, the “Christian – Democratic Union” Party, Halil Aydemir – the representative of the Crimean committee in France, Ersoi Sam – the member of the Board of Directors of the Islamic cultural center,

Ali Kilicarslan – the representative of the Union of Turkic democrats in the Netherlands (UETD), Ali Rasa Akbas – TV channel “Kanal Avrupa”, Oguz Tundcay – labor attaché of the General Consulate in Cologne, Oguz Uchunci – General Secretary of the Islamic association of national position of Europe (IGMG), Cemal Oztas – Türkiye Gazetesi, Ibrahim Tas – newspaper “Sabah”, Hicabi Saglam – the Center of Turkish – German Friendship, Metin Sirin – representative of the Union of Turkic democrats in Germany (UETD), Mustafa Gungor – MP of the North Rhine-Westphalia from the Green Party, Arif Unal – the Head of the state integration commission.

Ali Hamzin, head of the Department of foreign relations of Mejlis, Aslan Omer – head of the Association of Crimean Tatars in Kyiv and Rustem Umerov, the delegate of the Qurultay of Crimean Tatar people represented the Crimean Tatar delegation at the dinner.

Mejlis leader Mustafa Jemilev told his partners in details about the current situation with Crimean Tatar people and recent events in the people’s public and political life. According to M.Jemilev today there is a tendency in Crimea, when the Ukrainian and republican authorities make provocative and purposeful attempts to ruin the system of the Qurultay of Crimean Tatar people – national structure protecting the rights of the Crimean Tatars that was founded as far back as in 1917.

During the meeting the parties exchanged the opinions and everyone could express one’s point of view and make the constructive proposals.

The information that the Head of the Crimean Government A.Mogilev professes an open hatred towards the Crimean Tatars and justifies their deportation in Mass Media, and is also known for organization of the routs in Ai-Petri in 2007 with arms and armored vehicle involved, and who is the main initiator of the destruction of the system Qurultay – Mejlis, evoked the sharp negative reaction among the participants of the meeting.

The parties also discussed the situation in Crimea when A.Mogilev initiated the ethnic cleansings of the Crimean Tatars from the governmental bodies of Crimea on the national grounds and their closeness to the representative body of the Crimean Tatars.

The participants of the meeting expressed their opinion that it seems like the head of Crimean government, being an odious figure and known for his xenophobic moods and acts against the Crimean Tatars is going to play a role of “Ukrainian Milosevic” in relations with Crimean Muslims.

There was also indignation expressed with the irresponsibility of the central authorities in Kyiv, pursuing a very thoughtless and dead-end policy towards Crimean Tatar people in Crimea.

All the present expressed their readiness to organize the extraordinary meeting (Qurultay) of Turkic public organizations in the territory of the European Union to discuss the modern hard situation of Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine.

The parties also exchanged their opinions about the projects on the promotion to the rights of the Crimean Tatars in Ukraine and bringing them to notice of the broad international community.

During his visit the leader of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev to Colognehe was accompanied by Ali Hamzin, head of Mejlis’ foreign relations department and Aslan Omer Qirimli, head of the Association of the Crimean Tatars in Kyiv and Rustem Umerov, the delegate of the Qurultay of Crimean Tatar people.