Meeting with students of the Institute of Philology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

19 April 2018

Today, students of the Institute of Philology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv met with Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Ilmi Umerov and adviser to the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Arsen Zhumadilov.

The meeting was held at the Department of Turkish Studies of the Institute. At the beginning of the meeting, the lecturer Abibulla Seit-Celil congratulated the honoured guests.

The next was Ilmi Umerov`s short speech. “I want you (students) to speak more as you are our future, and it is important for us to know what you are concerned about” – he said.

Students actively talked on various topics that interest them. Questions about changes to the Section X of the Constitution of Ukraine aroused a particular interest.

Arsen Zhumadilov told about the features of the Crimean Tatar national-territorial Autonomy and a world experience of self-determination of indigenous people. “The issue on Crimean Tatar national-territorial Autonomy is a matter of saving the indigenous people of Ukraine! The Crimean Tatars stand for to be known, recognized and respected in the same way as they respect and know the Ukrainians. In the 17th century, the Ukrainians seeked for help from the Crimean Khanate, and they have never been denied, the same as now the Crimean Tatars are requiring assistance from the Ukrainian State,” – emphasized Zhumadilov.

It should be noted that the conversation was exclusively in the Crimean Tatar language, and it was not difficult to understand each other, both, students from among the Crimean tatars and students from among the Ukrainians, that indicates a very high level of teaching the Crimean Tatar language in the Institute of Philology.