The Majlis promptly loses influence on Tatars of the Crimea

The Candidate of Political Sciences, the associate professor of philosophy and law, the deputy of the Simferopol City Council of V convocation Victor Aleksandrovich Afanasyev told about the growth of contradictions between Majlis and the Ukrainian power, about activity of Islamic party “Hizb ut-Tahrir” in the Crimea in interview to “The world and we”.

- How the situation round self-captures of the land plots in the Crimea develops? What role in their implementation is played by Majlis? Whether this activity turned into favourable business?

For the beginning I want to provide some data from background of a question. The Majlis began vigorous activity since the end of the 80th years. In the 1989th year the Tatars of the Crimea began to come back to the peninsula and in that period the Majlis sharply strengthened the propaganda activities.

The first aggravation of a situation which happened in this regard is the power opposition to employees of law enforcement agencies in 1992. Following the results of this opposition the resolution of the Supreme Council of the Crimea which the Majlis admitted as anti-constitutional, illegal and not wishing to be registered in a legal framework of Ukraine was accepted. And all these years, more than 20 years, Majlis isn't registered neither as public organization, nor as political party. Representatives of Majlis declare that agree to be registered only as the Supreme Council of the Crimea - the supreme representative body of the republic. Naturally, nobody can provide such right to them.

From Victor Yushchenko when he was a president, the reproach in relation to Majlis sounded that the Declaration on the sovereignty of the Crimean Tatars, published in 1991, doesn't correspond to the Constitution of Ukraine. It is openly declared that the earth of the Crimea, the peninsula water area, a subsoil and even air are the property of exclusively Crimean Tatar people. On this reproach the leaders of Majlis declared that aren't going to change something in the main documents and the words of their political ally with whom they together acted on “Maidan” mean nothing to them.

The situation with self-captures which now develops in the Crimea, really reminds business. Earth cost in the Crimea is rather high, especially on south coast and in vicinities of Simferopol. And the Tatars of the Crimea, receiving the land plots, often have in property 2-3 sites.

One site is used for construction and others are used for financial feed of this construction. Many experts note that the wave of self-captures began to decline. It is easy to explain it - the most part of Tatars of the Crimea already sufficiently provided with the land plots. And the free earth in the Crimea already remained not so much.

The authorities of Ukraine and the Crimea tell already long time about the land registry - the special register which would consider the rights of owners to the earth and the size of that earth which is in their property. But while it is only the talk.

People who make earth self-captures use these tears in the legislation and practice of activity of the power. Thus the power treats them extremely oddly. Instead of already come into force decisions of the courts about illegality of such actions to take down illegal structures on self-captures, to alienate these land plots in favour of territorial communities, the power offers self-aggressors similar on the area and parameters land plots, but in other area.

Striking example is the scandalous situation with self-captures round the Simferopol cemetery “Abdal” when captures of sites in one hundred meters from this cemetery were made. And these self-aggressors were offered the land plots in the Dobrovsky valley - it is a most picturesque place on the route of Simferopol - Alushta.

There are available all conditions: fertile earth, proximity of water, existence of communications.
Self-aggressors don't stop on the reached - having built any structures in the seized territory, they try to legalize them and further to demand from the power at the expense of the local and state budget of leading necessary communications. Until recently the power reacted to these requirements rather vividly and even tried to provide any means in republican and local budgets. They appeared - on arrangement of the places of residence of earlier deported citizens.

Besides, often, the officials who dealt with these issues in local governments and the Crimean Council of ministers, were appointed on so-called “Majlis quota”. That is, they sat down in the chair according to the body recommendation with the uncertain legal status.

- How the support of opposition party “Batkivshchyna” affected the relation of the Ukrainian authorities to Majlis at parliamentary elections? Is the Majlis the only organization through which the power interacts with Tatars of the Crimea?

After Anatoly Mogilev became the Crimean prime minister, the situation in interaction of the authorities and Majlis changed. In many respects it was affected by objective political factors - the Majlis disagreed to cooperate with the Party of Regions and adjoined “Batkivshchyna”. Possibly, it is the main reason for which the authorities began to look for modes of work with Tatars of the Crimea bypassing Majlis. These ways existed earlier.

There are Tatar organizations which expressed a protest to policy of Majlis and practice of its existence. But nobody listened these organizations especially - they were considered as the quite separate. The power decided to bypass Majlis by means of these organizations. Council of representatives of the Crimean Tatar people at the President of Ukraine was reanimated as from 2010 to February of this year its work was paralyzed.

Some part of this Council was appointed on a Majlis quota, and they blocked meetings - Council couldn't function due to the lack of quorum. Not so long ago the situation changed - the quorum managed to be collected, and the new chairman of this Council Lentun Bezaziyev was elected who declared the readiness actively to work with the power.

Besides, the materials about the business organized by Majlis on a subject of self-captures started appearing in the press, about resale of the land plots - earlier such materials never appeared in such large number.

It isn't known, such situation how long will last, but, it is obvious that until the Majlis will be together with “Batkivshchyna”, nobody admit it to a subject of cooperation with the power. Though the power didn't show before such active rejection of Majlis, but on the contrary considered that with their help it is possible to smooth somehow an interethnic situation in the Crimea.

Now there are some factors which testify that the Majlis starts entering a crisis phase.

First of all, it is activization of activity of the various organizations which declare an opposition to Majlis. Leaders of Majlis declare that activity of these organizations is inspired from the outside –traditionally it is called as “the fifth column” and “Russian trace” is mentioned.

The Majlis tries to make up for lost time influence at the expense of use of a moral and religious and ethical component in the activity. Long enough they developed a subject with construction of the Cathedral mosque in Simferopol on Yaltinskaya St., 22. After the long epic when the Simferopol City Council refused ground allocation under construction of this mosque, they received this land plot with the assistance of the former prime minister of the Crimea Vasily Dzharty. But after that any active actions in this territory on construction wasn't undertaken. And now there it is possible to see only the big stored heaps of a stone shell rock and the car of the watchman. In the Majlis it is told that the reason of lack of activity is a lack of funds which are allocated by sponsors.

- Are the events in the Crimea bearing threat to the international world?

Some time ago there were two attempts to shake the boat of the interethnic relations. One of them is connected with events near the village Molodezhnoe near Simferopol when the representatives of Russian Unity party tried to demolish illegally built houses on the taken grounds.

As a matter of fact, it was the stored building material which wasn't fastened even by construction solution, and these land plots had lawful owners - people who received them after a devision of the earth of state farm in this settlement. They appealed to court which passed the decision in their advantage, but the public executive service didn't hurry with implementation of these decisions. As it usually occurs, the law told the word, but political expediency worked - the authorities declared unwillingness to force an interethnic situation in the Crimea.

Having the copy of these decisions, activists of party and representatives of the Cossack organizations came at night to this site and destroyed these structures without attraction of any construction equipment. Then in the press the sensation was lifted from representatives of Majlis that the “pro-Russian” organizations as they call them, tried to organize “provocation”. Naturally, this occasion was actively used by Majlis for a self-praise in mass media.

And in an interval in one day there were events in the territory under construction of the Cathedral mosque. There was an attempt of an arson of the trailer where the watchman spent the night. The members of Majlis submitted the corresponding application to militia that, allegedly, it is specially organized provocation by notorious “fifth column”. But investigation revealed that so these events can't be treated, and there are no proofs. In the press there were opinions that this provocation was organized by representatives of Majlis for increase of the rating in the opinion of tribesmen as the trust level from their party to Majlis constantly falls.

Therefore the Majlis is in the extremely difficult situation now. Besides in the ranks of this organization there is an internal fight for leadership. Its permanent leader Mustafa Cemilev directs Majlis more than 20 years. And many years the question of his successor or successors is exaggerated. Some time ago he made the statement that voluntary wants to resign authority of the head of this illegal organization. But congress of Kurultai which forms Majlis, didn't want to release him from this position as it was declared.

Besides, various groups are formed within Majlis and Kurultai. For example, recently there was a scandalous situation with the functionary of one of such groups Enver Abduraimov.

On air of one of telecasts he declared that responsibility for the act of resettlement of the Tatars in 1944 lies not only on the Soviet authorities, but also on Tatars of the Crimea.

He was immediately subjected to condemnation for that, the appeals to expel him from Kurultai sounded, to deprive of the deputy mandate. But later he was caused on meeting of congress of this organization where made public apologies.

- How densely the Majlis cooperates with NGO and other organizations financed by the western countries?

The Majlis really actively cooperates with the various foreign organizations, funds and structures. In my opinion, this cooperation is used by Majlis to receive the international legitimacy, recognition around the world. They like to refer to some acts adopted by the UN and its divisions, quite actively contact to representatives of OSCE who periodically come to the Crimea for situation monitoring.

Separate vector is the cooperation with the organizations and funds which work in the USA. And the traditional direction for Majlis is cooperation with Turkey.

Characteristic example of use of these communications by Majlis is the correspondence polemic which burst between representatives of the Polish organization “Fighting Solidarity” and representatives of the pro-Russian public organizations in the Crimea. It arose because of demolition of self-captures near the village Molodezhnoe. The Poles expressed indignation in this occasion and called for a ban of the pro-Russian public organizations, as extremist.

At the same time they urged to support Majlis in its “fight”. Though it is absolutely unclear, what “fight” the unregistered group can conduct against the organizations which are registered and work in a legal framework of Ukraine.

Certainly, it is a reason for popularity and self-praise acquisition in the countries of Europe. Especially where there are parties or the public organizations, seeking to create a negative image of Russia. They often use the term “country empire”, applying for submission and enslavement of the people. The same slogans are used also by ideologists of Majlis. In particular, the Majlis very actively proved during the conclusion of the Kharkov agreements on extension of basing of the BSF of the Russian Federation. The Majlis extremely negatively perceives the fleet stay in the Crimea and repeatedly made statements about it.

It should be noted that, according to many experts, the BSF of the Russian Federation is the guarantor of stability and safety of the Crimea and all South of Ukraine.
It is rather weighty guarantee that events wouldn't develop here according to the Kosovan scenario. Fortunately, such preconditions didn't ripen yet at us because in case of Kosovo the Albanians made the vast majority of this Serbian province. And according to statistical data the total of Tatars makes about 13% in the Crimea.

But these data differ in the regions of the Crimea - there are places, first of all, on east coast of the Crimea where this ratio reaches 50%.

- Who develops the basic ideological provisions of Majlis? Is any analytical structure which formulates them?

They have the press service which actively works for formation of recognition of this organization. Generally these efforts are directed on recognition abroad. For this purpose they regularly send to foreign partners the materials in English that they dispersed on foreign news and news agencies quicker.

Their basic ideological constructions and concepts are based on the Declaration on the sovereignty of the Crimean Tatars of 1991. And now they achieve adoption of law about deported people which would allocate immigrants and their descendants with the additional rights in relation to the rights which other citizens of Ukraine use. Attempt of adoption of this law already was in 2004. But then it was vetoed by president Leonid Kuchma who saw violation of article of the Constitution guaranteeing equal rights to citizens of the country irrespective of their national identity in this law.

Not so long ago Cemilev made the second attempt. He introduced the relevant bill for consideration, but it was considered only in the first reading and further procedure didn't go any more. Thus the fastest adoption of this law is supported by both Majlis and the organizations declaring an opposition to Majlis. That is, there is a peculiar competition between them who will quicker achieve adoption of this law.

As the law isn't adopted, the concept “deported” remains uncertain. And this term is the extremely disputable in relation to the Tatars of the Crimea, though it is used rather widely in the press. Deportation is a deportation of citizens from one state in limits of another. Thus during events of May, 1944 Ukraine and Uzbekistan were in borders of one state therefore more weighed experts apply the term “special resettlement” as it appeared in documents of that time. But the matter is that the concept “deportation” sounds very significantly for foreign structures. And it is, natural, favourable to Majlis.

- How widely the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization carries out the activity in the Crimea, for extremism forbidden in many countries? What are the relations between it and Majlis?

This party is forbidden in many countries of the world, including, Uzbekistan and Russia. In Ukraine there is no official ban on its activity.

The only measure which Security Service of Ukraine applied concerning this structure is blocking of their official site in connection with placement of the materials contradicting the legislation of Ukraine. The main claim which the Ukrainian militiamen put forward to “Hizb ut-Tahrir” is the promotion in their materials of idea of creation of the religious state, the Caliphate which has to include the territory of the Crimea and Ukraine.

Thus “Hizb ut-Tahrir” enters into a contradiction with interests of Majlis in the Crimea. And judging by statements of the members of Majlis, activity of this organization disturbs them very much.

The reason in that the ideology of Hizbs finds many adherents among the youth because they explain the principles in available language. Already there were conflicts between inhabitants of small settlements where mosques are constructed. Hizbs try to attract the part of parishioners of these mosques in Kirovsky district, in vicinities of Feodosiya up to fights and mass collisions.

But if to consider Majlis and “Hizb ut-Tahrir” from the legal point of view, that and other organization aren't legally issued. And though Hizbs call itself as political party, they don't hurry with registration too. But thus representatives of this organization publicly didn't declare the participation in self-captures. While they limit the work by the spiritual and religious direction and pay much attention to attraction in the ranks of the youth.

The work with the youth isn't on lifting at Majlis. The people of middle and advanced age are basically on the majority of actions. These are those people who remember the events of 1944 and their children. And as for grandsons, there are certain problems. What can they offer the youth, what ideology? Living in this environment within 15-20 years, the youth experiences the same difficulties, as their contemporaries of other nationalities – the problems with employment, guarantee with housing.

And at the expense of this community of problems, they not always understand those purposes and tasks which are set for them by representatives of Majlis. It is one more of the reasons on which the influence of Majlis among Tatars of the Crimea steadily decreases.