More that 40 Thousand People Took Part in All-Crimean Mourning Meeting Timed to 69th Anniversary of Deportation of the Crimean Tatars

On May 18, 2013, more than 40 thousand people took part in the Crimean mourning meeting, timed to the 69^th anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatar people from their historical Homeland – Crimea.

On May 18, 2013 in the morning the local mourning meetings were held in every Crimean settlement, as well as in Kherson and Zaporozhe regions with their large number of the Crimean Tatar population. The people prayed for the victims of the deportation and decades of their forcible keeping in the exile.

Moreover, the Crimean Tatar prayed for the victims of the genocide of Crimean Tatar people before the Ukrainian embassies in such European capitals as: Brussels, Hague, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, Warsaw, Bern, and other capitals of the EU member-states, as well as in Turkey’s cities Ankara and Istanbul.

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In the morning the people laid flowers to the memorials and memorial stones, praying and mourning meetings were held.

Five columns with the participants of the meeting marched across the streets of Aqmescit from the train station, Salgirka Park, Zapadnaya bus station, Pobeda Avenue and M.Zhukov micro district to the central square.

During the afternoon namaz the representatives of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Crimea made an ezan – calling to namaz.

At 12.00, local time the International action “A Minute of Mourn and Unity” was held. The participants of the action irrespective of their location stood still for few minutes, leaning their heads and praying for the memory of those who didn’t return and thanking the God for letting us living today altogether in our native land.

This day, the participants of the movement “We are Europeans” in Kyiv, and more than 50 participants of the international conference “Civil Society in Ukraine” that arrived at Crimea from various regions of Ukraine, as well as many friends of Crimean Tatar people supported the Crimean Tatars in “A Minute of Mourn and Unity”.

the First Vice Head of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People, the President of the World Congress of the Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov opened the Crimean mourning meeting commemorating the victims of the genocide of Crimean Tatar people – the deportation May 18, 1944 and decades of their forcible keeping in the exile.

The participants of the Crimean mourning meeting carried the Crimean Tatar national flags, state flags of Ukraine and slogans “Mogilev! Get out of Crimea and take “Council of akshakals 2 with you”, “We are in our own land!”, “Give the status of the indigenous people to the Crimean Tatars!”, “Prolong Bishkek Agreement!”, “Now way to EU with chauvinistic mug!”, “Give Crimean Tatar people the status of the indigenous people”, “Eternal memory to the victims of genocide of Crimean Tatar people” and others.

After the state anthem of Ukraine and Crimean Tatar national anthem was performed, Mufti of Muslims of Crimea Emirali Ablaev prayed for the memory of those who died during the deportation and decades of forcible keeping in the exile.

After that Mr Valery Patskan, Head of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine spoke before the participants of the Crimean mourning meeting.

“The horrible crime was committed against the whole people. It contradicts to the universal principles of humanity and human rights. We think that it is unjust that the problems of the deported citizens – political, legal, social and economic are still remain unsolved. We realize the need to solve these problems and restore the justice towards Crimean Tatar people, your rights, and your right to live in the native land. This requires the efficient measures from the Ukrainian and Crimean authorities,”- Mr Patskan underscored.

Mr Valery Patskan assured the participants of the Crimean mourning meeting that his Committee will do their best at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to adopt the Law of Ukraine “On the restoration of the rights of the citizens, deported on the national grounds.”

The Head of the Committee was also convinced that the reconciliation of the positions of the authorities and traditional elective national institutes of Crimean Tatar people – Qurultay and Mejlis is very important when solving the problems of the return, resettlement and restoration of the rights of Crimean Tatar people.

Mr Celil Esercep, Head of the Democratic Union of Muslims Turk-Tatars of Romania,

Mr Amet Varol, Member of the Executive Committee at the World Congress of Crimean Tatars,

Mr Murtaza Essenkal, Head of the Turkish Foundation “Qirim”,

Mr Murtaza Essenkal, Head of the Turkish Foundation “Qirim”,

Mr Alexander Mochkov, MP of Ukraine from the Party “Udar” expressed their condolences and support to Crimean Tatar people on this mourning day.

On May 18, 2013, Mr Eduard Leonov, MP of Ukraine from All-Ukrainian Opposition (AO) “Svoboda” also spoke before the participants of the Crimean mourning meeting.

“Dear Crimean Tatars, I would like to congratulate you sincerely that you preserve your national dignity, you defend your right for the self-determination, the right for the future of your children and grandchildren. AO “Svoboda” will do its best to make your much-suffered people have the right to the self-determination within the single powerful unitarian Ukrainian state. That is why we have been fighting together for our independence against various conquerors. We have the common history and we could find the ways to restore the order in our God-given land and we don’t need any invaders here,”- the MP underscored.

The Ukrainian politician representing AO “Svoboda” in the Parliament of Ukraine addressed Crimean Tatar people stating that the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people must become the local self governance body, and Crimean Tatar people must obtain the necessary quotas in all representative and executive bodies. United we stand, divided we fall.

“We are the masters in this God-given land and only we – Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians can decide how to live and bring up our children and how we have to govern our state. We will implement the program,”- Mr Eduard Leonov underscored.

Mr Aziz Abdullaev, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of ARC, Mr Oldrich Andrysek, UNHCR Regional Representative for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, Mr Igor Ogorodnik, General Consul of Germany in ARC, Mr Lubos Vesely, Political Advisor of the Czech Embassy to Ukraine, numerous Crimean Tatar diaspora in Romania, Turkey, Russia, as well as the representatives of various political and public organizations of Ukraine also took part in all-Crimean mourning meeting.

Addressing the participants of the Crimean mourning meeting commemorating the victims of the genocide of Crimean Tatar people – deportation May 18, 1944 and decades of their forcible keeping in exile, the Head of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People Mr Mustafa Jemilev made the summary of the year 2012 and told about the most significant events to take place in Crimean Tatar people’s life in the nearest future.

Mejlis Head underscored that at all times when the authorities opposed the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatars they used methods, aimed at splitting the people, creating and encouraging various groups and political movements whose main task was to set our nationals against each other, thus making us less capable of functioning or at least making us weaker.

“We saw this from the first days since Russia conquered Crimea, then during the Soviet period, and unfortunately we saw this during the last three years and during the independence of Ukraine. Since Ukraine proclaimed its independence we haven’t seen such open chauvinistic, provocative and very short-sighted policy towards the Crimean Tatars, excluding a short period of the President Meshkov’s governance. We know well how the “president” Meshkov ended his career – he found refuge at his masters in Moscow. There is no doubt that the Head of the Council of Ministers of ARC Mr Anatoly Mogilev will have the same fate. But every day of his governing in Crimea brings an irreparable damage to the interests and prestige of our country, threat to the interethnic consent and stability in Crimea.

The Head of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People Mustafa Jemilev stated that he demands the immediate resignation of the Head of Crimean Government Mr Mogilev and investigation of his provocative chauvinistic activity, the return of all Crimean Tatar officials that were fired on the political and national grounds and reimbursement of moral and financial damage caused to them.

“Today our diaspora will also give our demands to the Ukrainian embassies to many European countries, the offices of the EU and European Parliament,”- MP of Ukraine Mr Jemilev said.

In conclusion of the Crimean mourning meeting the Head of the Secretariat at Mejlis Mr Zair Smedlyaev read the participants of the meeting the Draft Resolution of the Crimean mourning meeting, commemorating the victims of the genocide of Crimean Tatar people – deportation May 18, 1944 and decades of their forcible keeping in exile.

On May 18, 2013 more than 40 thousand participants of the Crimean mourning meeting voted unanimously for the Resolution.