Association of Writers and Arts Workers of Turkey has awarded the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, famous human rights advocate Mustafa Jemilev with the prize \u00abFor service to the Turkic world\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mustafa Jemilev\u2019s ideas on the resolution of the Crimean Tatar issues based on the non-violence principle, as well as his initiatives to unite and cooperate with brotherly countries and nations have been highly appreciated in Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus, April 5, 2011, the commission to approve the award winners headed by the Rector of the F\u0131rat University, Prof.Dr. Fevzi Bing\u00f6l, decided to award the prize for 2010 to the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, MP Mustafa Jemilev.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was unanimously decided to award the prize for 2010 to the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev. In the 21st century, when human values and rights are above all, unfortunately, majority of the Turkic peoples suffer violence and injustice. The Crimean Tatars are one of these peoples. And the leader of the Crimean Tatar people is Mustafa Jemilev, who became a legend during his lifetime and diligently fights for the freedom of his people and democracy,\u201d reads the commission\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The awarding ceremony of the prize \u2018For service to the Turkic world 2010\u2019 has taken place at the El\u00e2z\u0131\u011f Municipality Centre of Culture on September 24. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of El\u00e2z\u0131\u011f S\u00fcleyman Selmano\u011flu, Rector of the F\u0131rat University Fevzi Bing\u00f6l, the Chairman of the Eurasia Writer\u2019s Association Yakup Deli\u00f6mero\u011flu, as well as foreign writers, poets, representatives of mass media and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event began with a documentary film about life and work of Mustafa Jemilev.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his speech, Mr. Jemilev told about the Deportation of the Crimean Tatar people, struggle for the return home and current Crimean Tatar problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThanks Allah, we are not alone in this struggle. There are you. There are wonderful people like you. To tell the truth, I have recently come to know that in 1976 during my 303-day hunger strike, meetings were organized in El\u00e2z\u0131\u011f in my support. And when people heard about my alleged death, they performed a funeral prayer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thank the residents of El\u00e2z\u0131\u011f for the fact that notwithstanding so much time have passed, they did not forget about me and awarded the prize \u2018For service to the Turkic world,\u201d the Crimean Tatar leader emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reference: The prize \u2018For service to the Turkic world\u2019 was founded in 2003 in order to perpetuate names of public figures, scientists, arts workers, who came to the fore in the Turkic world. Among the former laureates of the prize are a Soviet and Kyrgyz author Chyngyz Aitmatov, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Rauf Denkta\u015f and the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n