Yesterday, on May 18, mourning meetings devoted to 65th Anniversary of the Deportation of the Crimean Tatar people had taken place on the central square of the Aqmescit (Simferopil) and all rayon centres of the Crimean peninsula.
As QHA reports, meetings were begun on the central squares of all rayon centres at 8.00 a.m. and after than, people marched to local railway stations from which the Crimean Tatars were deported to exile.
The Crimean Tatar columns came in Aqmescit from four sides: from the Central railway station, Qarasubazar, marshal Zhukov’s district and Yalta. After short commemoration prayers, participants with the Crimean Tatar national flags and banners went to downtown along Aqmescit’s streets.
İt should be noted that for the first time there was a column that formed by representatives of the Crimean Tatar diasporas from Bulgaria, Lithuania, Germany, Romania, Russia, Turkey, the USA, etc.
All-Crimean meeting gathered more than 35 thousand people. This commemoration event was begun by the Crimean Tatar national hymn and Ukrainian national hymn. The Spiritual leader of the Crimean Moslems hajji Emirali Ablayev and Mufti of Romania Murat efendi Yusuf uttered prayer for souls of the Crimean Tatars who died during the Deportation.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Anatolii Hrytsenko presented the condolences to the Crimean Tatar people on behalf of the Crimean authority. Also the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the ARC Leonid Zhunko delivered the address on behalf of the Head of the State Victor Yushchenko.
MP Viacheslav Koval, Deputy Head of the ‘People’s Movement of Ukraine’ Party that is the old ally of the Majlis of Crimean Tatar people expessed his opinion the Ukrainians and the Crimean Tatars together can build up a modern, democratic state where the Crimean Tatar people will realize itself as a nation.
After that, the Chairman of the Majlis of Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Cemil said: “18 May will be as the most memorable day for our people for years to come because this day was a beginning of execution of death sentence for our peole that was passed by the Kremlin regime”.
According to the Crimean Tatar leader, as fundamental difference of the current stage of the Crimean Tatar struggle for their rights from the Soviet period is that the high leadership is far from solved with all issues. “Today in Crimea where pro-Russian separatism’s spirit and anti-Ukrainian hysteria predominate it is necessary to have more courage in order to battle for the state's interests.However, there is reality: only demands of powerful political forces are fulfilled but not demands of the people on which side is justice” – stated M. Cemil.
İn connection with that, he called the Crimean Tatar people to maximal consolidation and more active political work.
Also representatives of the Crimean Tatar diasporas made speeches before meeting: member of the Romanian parliament Ahmet Aletin, head of the Istanbul organization of the Crimean Tatars Celal İçten, well-known historian Dr. Hakan Kırımlı from Ankara, head of the Crimean Tatar Research and Information Centre (USA) Mübeyyin Batu Altan.
İn conclusion of the mourning meeting participants approved the resolution by which, in particular, they call the UN, the Council of Europe, the European Union and other international organizations to do all one can for restoration of the Crimean Tatar rights.
By QHA
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