The Crimean Tatars oppose Euromaidan

The questions of «The world and we» of the relation of the Crimean Tatar society to a situation with the cancelled signing of the Agreement on association with EU and to disorders in Kiev are answered by Vasvi Ennanovich Abduraimov, the chairman of the board of the Millie Firka organization, the vice-chairman of Council of representatives of the Crimean Tatar people at the President of Ukraine.

— What is the relation at the majority of the Crimean Tatars to events which now occur in Kiev — to Euromaidan and the disorders occurring in the capital?

In the Crimea there was an attempt of carrying out the actions in support of Euromaidan. On December 10 all opposition parties, «Batkivshchyna», «Svoboda» and others, could bring together only about 500 people from all Crimea on Lenin Square in Simferopol. And at week-days the Crimean Euromaidan doesn’t collect even 30 people together with the journalists reporting this «action». Here is all support in the Crimea to events which occur in Kiev.

As for political activity of the Crimean Tatars on Euromaidan’s support directly in Kiev — in the best days the Majlis managed to bring together there 50 people maximum. And public organizations of the Crimean Tatars, in particular the participants of land protest actions who are conducted to the solution of this question by public organization «Sebat», in last days off brought together about 1000 Crimean Tatars from the Crimea who expressed full support to a course of authorities in power and the president of Ukraine on parallel meeting in Kiev.

Even in the middle of October some public organizations told united in «Popular Front» at the initiative of our organization «Millie Firka» — no to European Union without solution of pressing problems of the Crimean Tatars. In particular, these requirements is acceptance of the law on rehabilitation and restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine, providing with the earth of the Crimean Tatars needing it, financing of programs on arrangement of the Crimean Tatars within the program approved by Cabinet of Ministers, the solution of a question on providing up to standard functioning of Crimean Tatar language in an education system and information.

It were those conditions which we asked the European commissioners to make obligatory among the demands, made to Ukraine before signing of the Agreement on association. All these requirements were transferred by us personally to Mr. Fyule at a meeting with him in the Crimea. However, as the practice showed, any of requirements of the Crimean Tatars wasn’t considered by preparation for Agreement signing in Vilnius. All these requirements were confirmed with Crimean Tatar community on November 18 on meeting in honour of Day of the Republic. And all relevant documents were transmitted through embassies and Internet resources to all heads of member countries of the European Union and heads of the European Union in Brussels. Therefore then, in October we were in Ukraine one of the few critics and sceptics of possible signing of the Agreement between Ukraine and EU, understanding through a cut of Crimean Tatar question all its malignancy without the relevant decisions in Ukraine.

Representatives of more than 20 public organizations who enter «Popular Front», with big alarm watch those events which occur now in Kiev. We hope that prudence of the Ukrainian people will prevail over emotions, and everything will come to the end with restoration of friendship with our natural allies in the east, with the countries of the Customs Union and, first of all, with the leadership of Russia.

And, of course, the major factor is that at the moment when the question of a political and socio cultural choice was particularly acute for Ukraine, the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin made the decisions confirming that Russia really brotherly state, and helped Ukraine to leave the hardest crisis. It is one more obvious factor showing the most acceptable vector of integration aspirations for Ukraine.

—What is your relation that the management and representatives of Majlis take active part in protests on Euromaidan?

We always declared that all these years the Majlis was and remains the conductor of the Euro-Atlantic project in Ukraine and in the Crimean Tatar environment. Also it contains generally on resources which go from the West — it is not a resource of the Crimean Tatar people, but exclusively external resource of various foundations. One of such foundations is headed by senator John McCain who already came to Kiev and looked how his obedient performers perform the tasks.

But because Euromaidan failed, the Majlis once again appeared in very unprofitable situation — it always had problems in interactions with authorities in power and after that failure they will even more be aggravated. And, of course, such activity of Majlis is extremely negatively perceived by all Crimean and Crimean Tatar community — this line of conduct which was chosen by the management of Majlis representing the organization as, allegedly, the only representative of the Crimean Tatar people. But the obvious facts testify to their true support — when on Euromaidan there were only 50 supporters of Majlis, on parallel meeting in support of authorities in power was about one thousand Crimean Tatars. It is also a ratio of forces supporting Majlis and those who doesn’t perceive it in the Crimean Tatar environment.

— In mass media there were messages that «fighters» of radical party «Hizb ut-Tahrir», allegedly, arrived on Euromaidan to Kiev and participated in protest actions. Do you have the information about it? How does this organization work in connection with the situation which has developed in Ukraine?

This structure consistently leads strategy of use of unconditional Islamic values, interpreting them actually, for attempt to take away the Crimean Tatar people from participation in pressing problems of the nation. With all their declaration. That they, allegedly, bear only peacekeeping mission, the considerable part of young people, the Crimean Tatars who took part in various operations, including Syria, inspired on similar actions vigorous activity of this organization.

And it is extremely unsafe both for Ukraine, and for the Crimea, and for the Crimean Tatar nation. Therefore for the purpose of anticipation of such actions «Millie Firka», the public organization «Sebat», veterans of national movement accepted the corresponding statement in October which sharply condemning the action of the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. This statement was fully supported by the Crimean Tatar public that strongly struck on «missionary» activity of this organization in the Crimea. And therefore in occurring opposition without society support they were unarmed and any active participation, as far as I know, in Kiev they didn’t accept Euromaidan on the party of «fighters».