An outstanding event took place in Crimea in May 2009 – the first Crimean Tatar World Congress. A stranger, non-Crimean Tatar would be involuntary puzzled with such event: why world congress, do Crimean Tatars live all over the world, why not only in Crimea? What made them leaving their native land and what prevents them prom getting back to Crimea?
Such questions are quite natural, because there are many peoples in the world who spread in a natural way all over the planet. However, the thing is that there is not to be said about the spreading of Crimean Tatars around the world in the historical time in a natural way, because they didn’t settle outside the Crimea that way. They were exiled and are still exiled forcibly. Moreover, this has been lasting already for two and a half centuries. At this, one should note that this task still wasn’t accomplished. First, in 1783 after Russia conquered and annexed the Crimean Khanate Crimean Tatars were simply ousted from Crimea, as there were created unbearable conditions for their life. The majority of them immigrated as they didn’t stand the genocide.
Nevertheless, a small portion of them remained (around one hundred thousand people). Then in the twenties century AD the rulers of the Communist Empire, that replaced Tsarist Russia, one fine day (on May 18, 1944) on pain of death forcibly literally within 24 hours took Crimean Tatar people out of the Crimea, inventing an absurd pretext. Then the fertile peninsular was inhabited by communist big men and lackeys of Russian origin (in other words by the communists and their servants).
However, the cannibals-communists went wrong. The people that was exiled to death didn’t vanished from the surface of the Earth: the result of thousand-year experience of survival of laborious mountain dwellers – descendants of Celts, Cimmerians, Hellenes, Scythian–Sarmatians, Goths, Italians and other ancient inhabitants of the Crimea who in the 15 – 13 centuries formed Crimean Tatar nation in the most severe conditions. The nation that appeared oneself in inhuman life conditions thousands kilometers away from it’s native land only half died out. The remaining part of it just got united keeping on fighting for one’s life in hostile environment.
This unity helped it not only survive, but later on was conductive to the formation within the people of the civil protest against the violation of human dignity. Crimean Tatars first of 13 peoples, who were repressed on the grounds of ethnic origin, started protesting in an organized way against the inhuman acts of the communist regime. This very fact was also the reason why communists being until the very last day at power banned Crimean Tatars from returning to their historical native land, at the same time they returned almost all other deported peoples by an organized way to their former places of settlement after 11 – 13 years of penal servitude.
Thus, Crimean Tatars stand aside from 13 peoples repressed on ethnic grounds. They lived in exile a whole 45 years. Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union people started getting back home in mass. They flood to Crimea in a disorganized way despite all bans of the dying and falling apart empire. Thus, there was even no question of any restoration of the rights of people and compensation for the material and moral damage. Moreover, Crimean authorities started taking repressing measures against the repatriates, referring to the illegal return of people deported from the Crimea. Guided by the law of non-existing state Crimean communists were literally “up in arms” against the returnees. They let them neither buy houses, nor build the new ones, nor even selling them land plots. With this goal Crimean authorities organized local Russians, who were brought here for hire already after the World War Two, to make pogroms in the places where Crimean Tatars returned.
Though, Russia is officially considered to be the successor of the USSR, it did not to lift a finger to take responsibility for acts that it did in the past and as it is said tried to wash one's hands of an affair when the Belovezha Agreement on partition of the USSR was proclaimed. Ukrainian state, the Crimea turned to be the part of, after the collapse of the USSR also started dissociate oneself from the people that flood to Ukraine after almost half-century incarceration in Asia: repatriates’ problems were alien to it - Ukrainian state. Ukrainian nationalists who considered themselves a single indigenous people of Ukraine didn’t need Crimean Tatars as they are – the people who were formed as the nation back in the Middle Ages and absorbed all other preceding inhabitants of the Crimea, thus asserting oneself as the indigenous people of the peninsular.
That is why Ukrainian state didn’t want to deal with the issues of restoration of the rights of the repressed people. And when the people made the authorities paying attention to it the state just made believe it solving their problems. Thus, Crimean Tatars turned to be left to themselves with all uncountable misfortunes relating with the new deportation now not to the East, but to the West. However, if in the past they were deprived of everything and exiled naked to an empty land, in fact to die of hunger and hardships in Asian land, now the authorities of Asian states and Ukraine make all their best to prevent these people to return to Crimean land. The same story repeats with small nuances. The so called Russian minority, that filled Crimea after the war and that in fact represent the majority in Crimea (almost 70 % of Crimean population) in fact rule over the Crimea, continuing to pursue the policy of discrimination and genocide towards the indigenous people of Crimea, because it professes the communist ideology with all the ensuing consequences.
That is why Crimean Tatars had to address their compatriots scattered all over 12 countries with an appeal to take a sober view of things in the Crimea as catastrophic and to find the solution for it’s radical change. You see, if the present state of affairs preserve, when on one hand one could see the evident indifference of state bodies to the destiny of the people - outcast and on the other hand – open hostility of population that inhabited the Crimea in post-war period having mind poisoned with propaganda, that Crimean Tatars mustn’t live in Crimea, would gradually inevitably result in complete extermination of the unique people.
You see, Crimean Tatars represent a little more then 10 percent of Crimean population. Thus, Crimean Tatars do not live, but have to survive in their historical native land surrounded by secret and evident ill-wishers. As far as the youth concerns, the most talented part of it tends to leave Crimea, trying to realize themselves outside the Crimea, because there it faces no artificial obstacles as in their native land. All this taken together needs taking urgent and effective measures in political, economic, spiritual and cultural national rebirth. Crimean Tatars wouldn’t solve this yet overwhelming task themselves without the help from abroad.
Creating the World Congress of compatriots Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people expect upon shaking the world progressive community in order to eliminate the consequences of the genocide, committed by the communist regime of the USSR.
These very motives made Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people to create Crimean Tatar World Congress.
The opening of the Congress was held on May 19, 2009. The official representation held in Bakhchisaray Khan’s Palace contained brief speeches of all twelve leaders of world Crimean Tatar diasporas, who came from twelve countries. Later on all plenary sittings were held in Simferopol where the representatives of 162 Crimean Tatar public organizations made their statements. Besides plenary sittings the agenda also offered field sessions held in various Crimean towns. The Congress lasted until May 22 inclusively. All in all there were more that 1000 representatives – delegates, honored guests and people invited from other national unions.
With this sentence I conclude the review of my article and proceed to the answers to the questions, asked me as the leader of Russian Diaspora of Crimean Tatars by newspaper-magazine “Altabash”, published in Germany which it the organ of Tatar (not Crimean Tatar) Diaspora in Germany. At this I want to make a special emphasize on the fact that all what is set below will represent my personal opinion, not the opinion of all Crimean Tatars. I will focus your attention on this in the course of my article. Well, the questions were: 1. How do you evaluate the Congress that was held? 2. Did it legitimate your expectations? 3. What have to be the first steps of the Executive Committee of the Congress?
As far as the first question concerns, my answer is that I can’t evaluate it unambiguously. What does it mean? From one side I welcome the creation of the World Congress and consider it timely and actual. I’ve already wrote about it in my introductory part of the present article. But, on the other hand I can’t agree with the policy and tactics of Mejlis (the initiator of this event), that did it’s utmost in order to prevent from participating at the Congress any Crimean Tatar who thinks contrary to the present policy of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people. In other words, there weren’t any representatives of opposition, who also have the right to call themselves Crimean Tatars, but who don’t agree with existing policy of representative body of the people and that is why neither such party as Milli Firka, nor the representatives of other opposition organizations of Crimean Tatars were not represented at the Congress. I expressed my bewilderment as soon as I addressed to the public with brief speech in Bakhchisaray among the other 12 representatives of Crimean Tatar diasporas.
This very brief speech suddenly produced an effect of an exploded bomb. After the conclusion of the ceremonial opening of the Congress I was literally attacked first by journalists, who heard from the supporter of Mejlis that there is in fact an opposition to Mejlis among Crimean Tatars. Then suddenly Mustafa Jemilev approached me and angrily asked me: “Where did you see an opposition?” and added some more impartial phrases concerning this opposition. – “If you don’t want to see it that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist” – I responded. – “But one need to know where one can speak about it!” – “I’ve told there where I could be finally heard and I won’t have another possibility”, - I concluded our short and not very pleasant talk.
I should note that we haven’t talked in that tone of voice before, because we always professed the same political views with Mustafa. But the time changes and one should adjust one’s activity all the time. I always supported Mustafa in all his strategic and tactical affairs before, but lately I have to state that after he got legalized in Ukrainian authority he started adopting their practices in relations with some representatives of Crimean Tatar people.
I will say short to make it plain: Mustafa started turning from a democrat to an autocrat. You see, Crimean Tatar mentality take in no autocracy due to the millenniums old history of formation of this people. By the way, due to the absence of this very ability to take autocracy Crimean Tatar people became the subject of genocide on the part of the conquerors who professed purely authoritarian rule. I’m telling about tsarist Russia, and later on the communist empire. This is the main reason for Crimean Tatar people’s miseries when it turned to be under the influence of mentioned above empires. All the consequences (that I don’t want to analyze in details) resulted form this very reason. I will mention only the principal disagreements among Crimean Tatars that divided the people into two major camps, starting with the period of self-willed return of people, when Crimean Tatars finally broke the communists’ barriers and gushed to the Crimea.
Back in the period of life in deportation the dissident groups were formed within the people that started calling the people to restoration of the civil rights and to return to their native land. In this desire people were unanimous and solid, despite the categorical and strict Resolution # 4367-1726 of November 24, 1948 ratified by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Secretary General of communists I.Stalin, where it was put down in black and white: “Determine Chechens, Karachais, Ingushs, Balkars, Kalmyks, Germans, Crimean Tatars and etc. to be deported to remote regions of the Soviet Union forever without the right to return to the places of their former settlement. All guilty self-willed leave (escape) from the places of obligatory settling to be called to criminal responsibility, and to be sentenced to twenty years of penal servitude”.
Crimean Tatar people didn’t want to obey to this Decision, all to a man! The division and controversy within the people wasn’t the result of disagreement with this law, but the choosing of the form of disagreement.
Some leaders considered, they shouldn’t demand, but ask the authorities the restoration of the civil rights and repatriation. And that it would be better that this should be done by the communists among Crimean Tatars who proved their devotion to the communist party and the Government of the USSR. These activists called people to protest but completely recognizing the existing communist regime and only under the slogans of restoration of Lenin’s principles of building the communism, against the perverts of Leninism.
However, there were also others, mainly among the educated and radical youth. These few dissidents considered that all evil comes from the communists and that is why they have to fight against the communist system itself, looking for the support abroad. It is natural that their number was many times less.
However, KGB put them all together, regarding any disagreement as a crime. That is why all disagreeing were taken to the jail: both those who were loyal to communism and those who were against it. Within Crimean Tatars these controversies became so acute that have divided the people into to antagonistic camps. If first the majority of people were inclined towards liberals, at this sympathizing the radicals, but already in 1989 when the collapse of the USSR was already evident even to an unenlightened person, Crimean Tatar people repelled from the liberals who kept on adhering to so called Lenin’s principles.
The communist authorities of the Crimea understanding all the senselessness of an open resistance to repatriation of Crimean Tatars decided to hold back the force of uncontrolled return of disgraced people to their historical native land with the hands of Crimean Tatars themselves. With this goal the communists of the Crimea urgently employed Yury Osmaniv - the leader of loyal liberals to state service along with some of his team-mates, creating the Committee that had to regulate the repatriation of Crimean Tatars. Since this moment Yury Osmanov became the enemy number one for the leader of Crimean Tatar anti-communists, because Mr. Osmanov became not only collaborationist. He became the traitor of people, taking service with its enemies under the pretext of providing assistance to one’s people. His betrayal consisted in that he became a toy in the communists’ hands in their desire to split the people into two antagonistic camps. The communists always tried to achieve this.
However, sudden and tragic death of Yury Osmanov prevented people from the split. The Good gave preference to the people taking the mistaken person away its just way. Mustafa Jemilev – the single person enjoying authority became the leader of Crimean Tatar people, who had spent 15 years in so called “correctional” communist camps, but wasn’t “corrected”. (Reference: I also spent four years at the same facility for the same thing and also wasn’t corrected. The conclusion is – the communists couldn’t correct Crimean Tatars).
Thus, when I loudly declared from the tribune of the international body that the single leader of Crimean Tatar people has an opposition different people understood this in different ways. I suppose, that the editorial board of “Altabash” decided to clarify this issue, and that is why it addressed me personally, in order that I explained in a detailed and clear way what kind of split among Crimea Tatars of the Crimea I was talking about, what bothers them and why many people disagree with the activity of the representative body of the people, headed by unchanged Mustafa Jemilev.
I’ve already answered above some of these questions when I wrote about the demographic problems of repatriates. At this I want to make it plain from the very beginning that there are no any serious pro-communist supporters of the former liberal-communist Yury Osmanov among Crimean Tatars. What was left from the former powerful movement called NDKT with its publishing body “Areket” today has pitiful and poor shape. That is why I repeat that it is just ridiculous and stupid to consider them seriously as an opposition.
The communist ideas among Crimean Tatars are doomed to sickly existence. You see, the communist is not just a membership in the party, it is a diagnosis. The diagnosis of a communist is a person deprived from one’s very birth of any noticeable abilities, who in the process of surviving and realizing its weakness and helplessness strives to “lean against” something stronger and vigorous. Here is the instinctive aspiration to herd, authoritarian order. “They are endless succession of zeroes voluptuously following the leader, Fuerer, Duce. Being aware of one’s worthless, a zero prays to one. Because after he stands behind the one he ten times reinforces one’s power”, - very precise expression about the communists of Balkar A.Alafaev (a).
Before forming the nation Crimean Tatars went through many thousand years of natural selection, sorting out by severe live in the mountains unadapted to life and weak human elements. As a rule, botchers didn’t survive in such hard conditions and gave no descendants. (2, 3). Crimean Tatars are mainly industrious, vigorous, initiative people and in general have self-maintained and independent mentality. That is why the authoritarian form of social life is alien to them. As far as democracy concerns – the community of ones, not zeroes, is just for them.
This is the law of any people: the democratic relations are formed in the societies where dominate independent and thinking people (in other words individuals). The authoritarianism is inherent in societies with weak-willed and feeble slaves dominated. Crimean Tatars didn’t originate form slaves. They were formed in the mountains in severe conditions of independence and freedom. But, this freedom-loving people was finally conquered by the empire of slaves, Russian Empire (in 1783), N.G. Chernyshevsky wrote about it: “Russia – the country of slaves, from the top to the bottom – all are slaves”.
As fate has willed, appearing in an authoritarian state the people with different mentality had to suffer the genocide on the part of the slaves-autocrats during the last two hundred years. But… thank God “Nothing in this world lasts forever”. The empire of slaves finally collapsed and fell apart in early 90th. On its debris took place democratic revolutions, such as for example “Orange revolution”. However, the former traditions do not disappear at once; they go away along with the passing generations. Ukraine also yet has many “sovoks” with slave mentality who live out their days and many even are in power.
However, Crimean Tatars didn’t came back to Crimea to wait quietly and patiently when the last usurper – communist will die, who moreover keep on drumming and spreading in masses the myth about the inability of Crimean Tatars to obey life order. But, this so called order in understanding of slave – communist doesn’t correspond to the way of life of freedom–loving person. But, the slave who used to knout and camp order won’t understand this.
Crimean Tatars want to live in democratic state. That is why they enthusiastically supported the Orange revolution and unanimously gave their voices to Uschenko party. However, the years have passed, but things haven't got forward an inch: the democracy in Ukraine develops lopsidedly. Two representatives of Mejlis who were admitted to Verkhovna Rada appeared to be incapable of changing anything. Ukraine still wasn’t defined concerning Crimean Tatars: in case it would acknowledge Crimean Tatar people as part of Ukrainian people – the President’s position, stating that Ukraine’s population consists exclusively of Ukrainians, this will ignore the status of indigenous people of the Crimea with all the ensuing numerous consequences.
Crimean Tatars will never agree with this, because Crimean Tatars, after they formed the nation 500 years ago include three tens of ethnic groups that inhabited the peninsular for several millenniums. Thus, Crimean Tatar nation unites not only Islam religion, and common Turkic language, but mentality that has been formed for centuries and even millenniums. One couldn’t ignore this with the best will in the world.
However, the young democratic state declared the policy of rebirth of Ukrainian nation. Two nations in one state is the problem that couldn’t solve the supporters of unitary state.
However, Crimean Tatars do not care these cooked up problems. In 1944 the people was subjected to inhuman repressions and demands human conditions for one’s living today. This is its legal right. If Ukrainian state doesn’t want to solve Crimean Tatar problem let it openly declares this, and at the same time recognizes that it is unable to follow the democratic laws. That is roughly the position of the new Crimean Tatar opposition that appeared in Crimea last years.
Naturally, in first turn the people claims to Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people. In fact, it was established with that goal. But, Mejlis showed incapacity and splitted into two camps. The opposition, that formed within Mejlis concerning that issue was headed by the lawyer Nadir Bekirov. Eldar Seyitbekirov – the chief editor of newspaper “Golos Kryma” also entered this group. However, the authority of Mustafa Jemilev inclined the majority of Mejlis refusing of radical measures towards Ukrainian authorities. Finally, the oppositionists had to leave the ranks of Mejlis’ members.
Thus, today discontent among Crimean Tatars is growing not only with the policy of Ukrainian state, but also with Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people, headed by Mustafa Jemilev. The number of opposition grows. This became especially evident on the last elections in Ukraine. If the majority of Crimean Tatar voices were given to Uschenko party, then last elections showed that significant part of voices were given to BYT (Block of Yulya Timoshenko). This was the direct influence of Nadir Bekirov and his supporters who called to vote for BYT.
So, when I was talking about the opposition I meant this very opposition, the one that forms as response to the policy of Ukrainian state that hampers the solution of Crimean Tatar problems…
Now let’s turn to the second question I was asked by editorial of “Altabash”. I could answer it quite unambiguously. The Congress didn’t justify my hopes. This first of all concerns the personality of the elected President of CTWC, because one couldn’t find more inappropriate candidate to this responsible post. This is not only my opinion, but I’m the first who said this openly.
I understand perfectly well that the Congress didn’t elect the President, it just voted for the proposed candidate. And this candidate was agreed offstage long ago. With whom? Naturally, with Mustafa Jemilev. Mustafa Jemilev hadn’t got big choice as he choose from a number of close circle of devoted to him personally and consequently to his mind reliable persons. The organizational merits of candidates in such cases come to the second stage. You see, everything depends on the head of the organization. I guess, this axiom needs no prove. As far as organizational qualities of newly–elected President concerns I will give them more emphasize, as I know Refat Chubarov already for a long time, even before he became Mustafa Jemilev’s satellite.
At first glance it seems like one couldn’t find the better candidate for such high and honored post. The perfect tribune and public speaker having representative appearance and placed voice, fluently speaking three languages – Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar (maybe even Turkish) – having such talents one could do nothing but speak on high tribunes! If the nature have given him the musical hearing he would become the fine opera singer and could easily knock spots off Placido Domingo. I speak this without any irony.
Refat Chubarov is really endowed with many outstanding abilities. However, only in certain fields. Alas! It is really so. However, being claimed in the period of return of Crimean Tatars to their native land Mr. Chubarov quickly took one’s place in the national movement, entering the closest surrounding of Mustafa Jemilev. A person with higher humanitarian education, industrious and initiative, like all Crimean Tatars he turned to be obedient and valuable assistant of Mustafa in all his undertakings, initiated by the leader of the movement. He was so successful in that role that became irreplaceable companion and supporter because he always tried to supplement him.
With time this tandem became so organic that Mustafa made him his first deputy. After Mr. Chubarov felt that he is the chosen one he tried to do his best to become the successor. This is a praiseworthy desire provided that you really could replace the chief. But, the thing is that Mr. Chubarov’s abilities turned to be limited. He had already exceeded his abilities as to his posts long ago. Yet he was sitting in the Rada, executing his deputy responsibilities supplementing Mustafa he was on the right place. However, as soon as he left the Parliament and headed Mejlis Mr. Chubarov showed his complete inability to replace Mustafa on this post.
If the nature didn’t gift a person with ability to understand the situation no education could replace the wit. It is evident that Mustafa overestimated Mr. Chubarov’s abilities when he decided to make him his successor. Mr. Chubarov looks like strut only when Mustafa stands behind him and prompts him. Mr. Chubarov turns into zero without Mustafa. It seems like Mustafa finally understood this as well. Thus, Mustafa – Chubarov tandem resembles one with zero. However, such tandem couldn’t last forever. When Mustafa Jemilev remained alone in Verkhovna Rada and sent Refat Chubarov to govern Mejlis independently he showed his complete inability to this exposing his empty essence. So, if God forbid! Something will happen to Mustafa Chubarov couldn’t replace him, like zero couldn’t replace one. This is a proven fact.
That is why the appointment of Chubarov to the post of the President of CTWC is a mistake that will lead to poor and unpromising consequences. “Fish begins to stink at the head”. As for me the fate of CTWC is predetermined. However, to my mind Mustafa thinks that he made Solomonic decision, by appointing Mr. Chubarov to this post. You see, he thinks that thus he solved two tasks: removed Mejlis from Chubarov and appointed his proven man to the responsible post via whom he will manage the Congress using his international authority as usual. I’m afraid, that Mr. Chubarov, who had exhausted and revealed himself long ago, will bring nothing but harm neither to people nor even to Mustafa (may he live for ever). This is my opinion.
Well, I hope after I answered the second question I can proceed to the third and the last question of newspaper “Altabash”.
At this I have to note from the very beginning that I’m not going to tell the Co-ordination council of CTWC what they should do. They know this well even without me: to bring the ideas of the Congress to the world community and to achieve the adoption of the corresponding decisions in UN, European Council, OSCE, and other international institutions that able to influence the state authorities of Ukraine concerning the radical changes in the attitude towards the indigenous people of the Crimea.
But how to inform the world community about our problems and ideas in order that they change something in our life practice, this is the question that is in the competence exclusively of the members of CC. Undoubtedly, we – Crimean Tatars, living outside our historical native land won’t stay indifferent and apathetic to the fate of our long-suffering people that fighting everyday and every hour for their basic human rights on their own native land.
Each of us will choose those methods and means that are appropriate for him in order to help one’s compatriots in Crimea. Because, despite our remoteness from our ancestors’ land our heart and soul always stays there, supporting our compatriots in their difficult fate. We – Crimean Tatars are very different. But we have one native land. It created, brought up, and made us relatives. The enemies scattered us around the world. But we will return and revive our nation, and establish that kind of life style on our native land that corresponds to our mentality. That is mentality of self-sufficient working person, creator who enjoys life understanding of value of one’s activity.
the Head of board of Association of Crimean
Tatars of Moscow,
a scientist and a writer.
1. Àëàôàåâ À.À. «Èñòîðèÿ äåïîðòàöèè è ðåàáèëèòàöèè ðåïðåññèðîâàííûõ ðîññèéñêèõ íàðîäîâ â äîêóìåíòàõ: áàëêàðöû». Journal «Ïðåïîäàâàíèå èñòîðèè â øêîëå», Moscow, 2009, ¹2.
2. Êóäóñîâ Ý.À. «Èñòîðè÷åñêîå ôîðìèðîâàíèå êîðåííîãî íàðîäà Êðûìà». Journal «Qasevet», ¹33, 2008, and Internet site www.moskva-krym.com
3. Êóäóñîâ Ý.À. «Êðûìñêèå òàòàðû – íå ýòíîñ, à íàöèÿ». An Article and film on Internet site: