«Any Activity Needs Dialog and Mutual Understanding,»- Mejlis’ Leaders

12 May 2012

On May 11, 2012 the meeting of Mejlis’ leaders with public and political organizations of Crimean Tatars was held in Crimean Tatar Academic and Musical Theater. The meeting’s agenda was the public and political situation and main activity of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

The Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev and his First deputy Refat Chubarov answered the questions of the representatives and members of Crimean Tatar public and political organizations.

Unfortunately, a range of Crimean Tatar organizations that acted in the framework of the movement, titled National Front didn’t take part at the meeting, despite their statements about the necessity to hold meetings with Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

 “We prepared to this meeting in advance and informed all Mass Media, – Refat Chubarov began. – The meeting will be held in the format – question-answer. You can also make your own statements on this theme”.

In the beginning of the meeting Refat Chubarov also told about the events that will be held on the eve of May 18, specifying that on May 13 the Crimean Tatar youth, headed by the Crimean Tatar youth organizations is making the climbing to Chatyrdag Mountain as in previous years, on May 17 there will be the evening-requiem in the Ukrainian Theatre, after that the youth will hold the traditional action “Light Fire in Your Heart” on the Central square in Aqmescit. On May 18 ATR TV Channel will make a life broadcast of all-Crimean mourning meeting from the square, interviewing the participants of the mourning meeting.

In his turn, the leader of Mejlis Mustafa Jemilev told that the program of the events, timed to the anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people from their historical Homeland May 18 will not differ much from the one of the previous year. “Traditionally, dua (the prayer) will be read, the main questions, related to Crimean Tatars will be considered. The only difference will be that about 25 high guests will come from the United States, Russia, Turkey, Rumania, Uzbekistan and other countries. More than 20 former Soviet political prisoners were invited to the mourning meeting. They fought for the human rights and democratization of the Soviet society against the Communist system of the USSR, defending the rights of the Crimean Tatars as well, and they were sentenced to the Soviet camps several times. These are the well-known Soviet and post-Soviet Russia’s human rights advocate Ludmila Alekseeva, a writer, one of the founders of the dissident movement in the USSR Vladimir Bukovsky, Tatyana Yankelevich – a daughter of the well-known human rights advocate, Academician Andrei Sakharov, Andrei Grigorenko – son of the Soviet General, human rights advocate, participant of the dissident movement, member of Moscow Helsinki Group Petro Grigorenko and others,”- M. Jemilev specified.

Mustafa Jemilev noted that such meetings have to be held as the program and constant event of Mejlis to organize the systematic communication with the public Crimean Tatar organizations and nationals, wishing to take part in it to discuss all the questions concerned. He also noted that the organizations that entered so called Crimean Tatar National Front could also take advantage of these meeting. “Organization “Namus” many times proposed Mejlis to meet with the National Front to discuss the allegedly necessary questions in order to come to one single opinion. In this situation the representative body of the people doesn’t bare the very idea of an intermediation, whoever it would propose. The representatives of the National Front could come to Mejlis’ office in reception days or fix the date and we are always ready to receive them, but they have to come to Mejlis. Mejlis’ doors are always open to negotiations. The representative body doesn’t make any preferences, but carries on a dialogue with the whole people and on behalf of the people,»- Mustafa Jemilev noted.

Refat Chubarov added that the members of Mejlis treat their opponents with honor and never let themselves any humiliation on the official website of the representative body of the Crimean Tatars. At the same time the information resources and meetings of a range of Crimean Tatar organizations often use humiliations, addressing Mejlis and its representatives.

After the entering speeches of the leadership of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people the representatives of the public and political organizations could ask them numerous questions.

One of the most urgent issues was the land problem. One of the proposals was to enter the Deputy Chairman of Mejlis Remzi Ilyasov and the Chairman of the public organization “Avdet” Mustafa Maushev to the Land Commission at the Council of Ministers of ARC. Moreover, today the people faced with one more big problem – privatization of land plots and commission of houses. This question was asked by the representative of the Crimean Tatar Youth Center. Mejlis’ leaders noted that this question was considered on one of the last meetings of Mejlis in details. The special commission was formed to develop the proposals to its solution.

During the meeting the leaders of Mejlis answered a range of the questions that interested the guests, including the elections to the local mejlises, the coming International Forum, destiny of the activist of the protest camps Daniyal Ametov, and also heard people’s proposals and wishes.

The final proposal of the meeting that lasted more than two and a half hours was the decision to hold such discussions at least quarterly.