New General Consul of Turkey in Odessa Mrs Hatice Nur Sagman Visits Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People

17 September 2013

On September 17, 2013, the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev met with the newly-appointed General Consul of the Turkish Republic in Odessa Mrs Hatice Nur Sagman.

The First Vice Chairman of the Mejlis Mr Refat Chubarov, Vice Chairman of the Mejlis Mr Remzi Ilyasov and Head of the Department of Foreign Relation Mr Ali Hamzin also joined the meeting.

“This is my first working visit to Crimea as a General Consul. My main goal is to get to know the region, the representatives of the Republican authorities and leaders of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People,”- Mrs General Consul of Turkey in Odessa said.

In the beginning of the meeting Mrs Nur Sagman told about her impressions from Crimea and noted the correctness of the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey about the need to open the General Consulate in Simferopol.

“Crimea is the main symbol of a bridge of friendship between Ukraine and Turkey. I hope that the decision on the opening of the consulate in the Crimean peninsular will strengthen the dialogue between our states and will promote the further fruitful cooperation,’- Mrs General Consul of Turkey in Odessa Sagman noted.

The Mejlis Head Mustafa Jemilev thanked the Republic of Turkey for the long term assistance and support provided to the indigenous people of the peninsular and expressed his doubt that the idea of the opening of the General Consulate of Turkey in Simferopol will find support of the Ukrainian authorities that suffer various kinds of hang-ups would treat this Turkey’s proposal negatively.

“Of coarse, if my prediction will turn up wrong and the General Consulate of Turkey will be opened in Simferopol increasing first of all the level of the business contacts of large business and mobilizing the rich Turkish experience in the socioeconomic area I will definitely support this project,”- the Mejlis Head said.

The Mejlis Head underscored that the socioeconomic and cultural projects between Turkey and Ukraine implemented under support of the Turkish Government, to be more precise by TICA became an invaluable support for the Crimean Tatar people.

At Mrs Nur Saglan’s request the Mejlis Head also told about a range of projects actively discussed with the Government of Turkey. “Among the issues that were discussed more than once at the meetings with the Prime Minister of Turkey Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leading Turkish Ministers the most urgent were the construction of the Cathedral mosque in Crimea, Crimean Tatar cultural center, as well as three national schools. The Head of Turkish Government personally gave his order to build the school in Crimean Tatar settlement Borchokrak “Fontany” up to the new academic year. Unfortunately, these projects were not implemented,”- M. Jemilev said.

The General Consul of Turkey in Odessa Mrs Nur Sagman assured the Mejlis’ leaders that content of her first meeting in the Mejlis will certainly enter the list of issues to be discussed in the nearest future with the Ambassador of Turkey to Ukraine that will be then communicated to the Government of the Republic of Turkey.

Mrs Sagman expressed her hope that the diplomatic experience received during the long term period of work in various countries will help her to be usefull in the implementation of the urgent and important projects aimed at preserving and development of the brotherly Crimean Tatar people.