After a year after a victory on presidential election in Ukraine of Victor Yanukovych the situation in Crimean Tatar national movement has become complicated, Medzhlis of the Crimean Tatar management led by permanent leader Mustafa Dzhemilev who was guided before by «orange» elite of the country, began to be at a deadlock and feverishly to search for possibility to remain afloat.

On the other hand, on a scene of political life of peninsula new players in the name of Milli Firka confidently increasing the potential (National party) and some other independent organizations of today’s Milli Medzhlis began to leave. Last years all prove nonconventional for the Crimean Tatars of a current of Moslem more brightly. About a situation in the Crimean Tatar national movement tells one of informal leaders of the Crimean Tatar national movement, the President of the international public organization «Fund of probes and support of the radical people of Crimea» Nadir Bekirov.

— Nadir-efende, Crimean Tatar national movement has passed more than a twenty years’ stage of the history in Crimea. What is the result of this activity?

— In 1990s the most part of Crimean Tatar movements actively cooperated with the Ukrainian national democrats. Basically this cooperation was expressed in ordinary Post-Soviet solidarity: and Ukrainian, and the Crimean Tatar nationalists driven to Soviet period, have been adjusted antirussian, as in Russia, saw threat for own people. Besides, we will not forget that in Crimea where were and there are the strongest Prorussian moods with a Russian-speaking part of the population, for the Ukrainian nationalists the Crimean Tatars were natural allies as the last struggled for arrangement on the historical native land that didn’t meet understanding and support at the majority of Russian of Crimea.

The victory of an «orange» coalition in 2004 which didn’t hide the Antirussian political line, has led to its support from this part to Crimean Tatar national movement. Here have worked different factors, including promised to Medzhlis and personally to Mustafa Dzhemilev of the preference from already «orange» Kiev.

However at first sight natural solidarity with «orange» has appeared in practice self-deception. Their leaders quickly enough also have clearly let know to the Crimean Tatars that they don’t prepare to do anything serious for restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people though wish to use the Crimean Tatars, as the gun meat, in the outwardly — and internal political squabbles. Moreover, «orange» have undertaken variety of the massed violent actions concerning the Crimean Tatars protesting against discrimination from the Ukrainian power.

Only, who «was heated» in «orange» beams, is a management of Medzhlis of the Crimean Tatar people and the persons approached to it regularly receiving the next portions of awards and money from the Ukrainian state for performance of functions of the supervisor over the Crimean Tatars.

However fidelity of Milli Medzhlis to «orange» has instantly disappeared, as soon as in 2010 the party leader of regions Victor Yanukovych became the president of Ukraine. Now Mustafa Dzhemilev, and Medzhlis, supports already a course of the new Ukrainian president. The national management of the Crimean Tatars tries not to remember former «orange» allies. It has generated, besides other problems, deep moral crisis at that part of the Crimean Tatars who still trust Milli Medzhlis. It not my subjective sensations, and absolutely official figures. During the first elections in territory of Ukraine in which the Crimean Tatars have taken part, in 1994 the list of Kurultay of Medzhlis was supported by 89 000 voters from approximately 120 000, living then in Crimea. On the last, on October, 30th, 2010, officially 51 000 of 200 000, living today but as have counted other opposition parties — communists and «Batkivshchina», the real figure was much more low — 36 000 voices. Falling of a rating with more, than 2/3 to 1/4-1/5, — in times!

The Moral and political timeserving of Mustafa Dzhemilev at all isn’t pleasant to those Crimean Tatars who want not only observance of accurate political principles, but, as consequence, and changes, in particular, at least elementary updating of the national establishment.

— And than so badly present management of Medzhlis of the Crimean Tatar people?

— It is bad that it — not a management. First, Milli Medzhlis is not all Crimean Tatar national movement. Moreover, even on their own figures, they represent less than third of the Crimean Tatar people. That is the consolidated management of the crimean Tatar people and even movement isn’t present, though Milli Medzhlis tries to apply for it, hiding, in general, from all whom it is possible that it — a smaller part of movement. The Ukrainian power including the latest, in the name of President Yanukovych also tries to limit the dialogue with the Crimean Tatars of Milli Medzhlis or its appointees. So it is more convenient: it is easier not to see and not to hear truths. But it is unproductive in the long term.All last twenty years we see only Mustafa Dzhemilev. But anyhow, soon there will be a question on his successor. He has first deputy Refat Chubarov who is torn in unique successors, and to whome Mustafa Dzhemilev, most likely, and will transfer in the inheritance the empire. Both of them fellows villager and even distant relatives, but Chubarova has such qualities which will inevitably lead to split of the Crimean Tatars. All who communicated with Chubarov, know that he is very utilitarianly concerns people: if you don’t occupy any high post or not the holder of resources which is ready to share with him you are uninteresting for him; he is greedy for the state awards and posts, doesn’t like to create and support command work if the command doesn’t work personally for him. And even in this case, as a rule, for him the care of members of the command, if they are not close relatives isn’t characteristic. If Refat Chubarov becomes the leader of Medzhlis of the Crimean Tatra people, this organization will collapse mostly because of such head.

Secondly, how many it is possible also for the sake of to cave in that before the Ukrainian power? No, for Milli Medzhlis, — it is clear. He, as in last convocations and Kurultay, consists mainly of state employees or businessmen dependent on it. They have taken the oath, they receive from this power, irrespective of change of supervising parties and modes, the salary, appointments, awards, pension in the future. Any conflicts to the power threaten them with oppressions on service or even dismissal. And for usual Crimean Tatars? What it from medals and the salary which are received from Ukraine by members of Milli Medzhlis?

The policy of assimilation of the Crimean Tatars, proclaimed President Victor Yushchenko, grows, lawlessness not only in political, but also in economic, social and cultural spheres accrues. And people should agree with it?! The Crimean Tatars at all cattle for which the Ukrainian state tries to hold us.

— But if Medzhlis is so bad so why there is no alternative to it?

— Why there is no alternative? There is Milli Firka (National party) led by Vasvi Abduraimov who makes an accruing competition to Medzhlis. For Milli Firka according to official figures the Crimean electoral committee the voices have given 7 thousand Crimean Tatars, but its real popularity makes an order of 25-30 thousand of Crimean Tatar voters, that is is comparable to Milli Medzhlis. Therefore Medzhlis which is engaged last years only in creation and empire of Mustafa Dzhemilev strengthening, has a real competitor — Milli Firka who is perceived by many as alternative of monopoly Dzhemileva-Chubarova. There are also others, not so numerous and influential, but, nevertheless, steady non-Medzhlis political organizations of the Crimean Tatars.

Another matter, as Mustafa Dzhemilev, and Refat Chubarov, feeling that the soil leaves from under feet, try to be built in every way before any authorities in power of Ukraine.

Convincing of the Crimean Tatars that it is necessary to struggle for democracy in Ukraine, that is, for «orange», watering far-outers with «traitors» and «dissenters», they at once after Victor Yanukovych’s victory, have rushed to persuade him that they members of his command, supporters of his program and are ready to carry out his any commissions that, in general, already and do, including — abroad. The Ukrainian power though tests, I believe, a certain disgust for these puppets, but to it is easier to manipulate them and through them the Crimean Tatars, rather than to undertake seriously solving of the Crimean Tatar problems in Ukraine. From here the list of Milli Medzhlis also has collected unnaturally a considerable quantity of votes on last elections as all system of election committees was supervised by Party of Regions confidently going to a victory.

Any power to deal with collaborators even if yesterday they were in opposite camp more comfortably.

— And nonconventional forms of Islam among the Crimean Tatars are how much popular?

Besides the national political organizations in Crimea recently began to appear and actively to conduct the work of the organization which in a greater degree extend among the Crimean Tatars nonconventional for Moslem forms, historically uncharacteristic for Crimea.

I wouldn’t begin so strictly to divide Islam on traditional and nonconventional. Now I will explain. Islam is the religion possessing considerable degree of a generality for its various directions and currents. At the same time, possessing, steady, invariant essence, Islam supposes a huge variety of its individual development and realization. Moslem as human behavior, following of essence of Islam in practical activities, can be traditional or nonconventional for this or that culture, the country, a generality.

If we speak about it judge: to Spiritual steering of Moslems of Crimea, uniting like traditipnals, submits about 230 communities while supporters nonconventional for Crimea of currents of Moslem or as here them name independent Muslim communities, totals nearby 70. Gradually the quantity of independent communities grows also balance changes. So, for example, Hizb-ut-Tahrir has in Crimea today 30-40 thousand supporters, salfaits (Wahhabites) is about 3 thousand persons, habashits (followers of sheikh Abdulla al-Habashi) while some hundreds persons. Between followers of these nonconventional for Crimea of directions of Moslem there are distinctions, but they are united by that they boycott participation in national political life of Crimea, don’t go on elections, are passive to ethnic questions. In this respect nontraditionals very much arrange the state as to the authorities they don’t disturb, at least, while. But for Crimean Tatar national movement Moslems, nonconventional currents for Crimea, represent a problem: national interests pale into insignificance, while, subjectively interpreted,the religious factor starts to play a dominating role.

Though not all independent communities necessarily represent nonconventional currents. The unwillingness to enter into system of Muftiat or Spiritual steering of Moslems of Crimea is often connected by that Mufty Emirali Ablaev, behaves simply as an appendage of Milli Medzhlis and his practical activities is connected not only and not so much with Islam, how many with performance of commissions of Mustafa Dzhemilev more political, rather than religious character. The charter of Spiritual steering of Moslems of Crimea is made in such a manner that officials earlier appointed him Muftiyat or heads of religious communities asserted by it that excludes influence of simple believers choose a mufti and does Spiritual steering of the closed caste. Irrespective of kotseptual religious preferences people don’t agree with such totalitarian system and more and more create the independent religious organizations.

In Crimean and Ukrainian mass media and even from ministerial offices and a parliamentary tribune the Antiislamic hysteria from time to time is inflated. In this context, names of currents exotically sounding for a slavic ear and the organizations, are often used for intimidation of the non-Muslim inhabitant by «Islamic threat» that in the conditions of Ukraine appreciably is meaningly identified with «Crimean Tatar». Think out events and the names which simply did not have places actually.

Hardly there is more than year back across all Ukraine of mass-media have carried that ostensibly on chairman of Milli Medzhlis Mustafa Dzhemilev attempt prepares. And he with pleasure on the left-to the right made comments on it, hinting at the Russian or Chechen trace; nowadays the arrested and in custody ex-minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Yury Lutsenko declared that his good fellows have detained members of terrorist organization At-Takfir val-Hidzhra, others spoke about Hizb-ut-Tahrire and its prohibition demanded.

When everyone has already skimmed the cream, it has appeared that have detained three persons who were engaged in theft of cows, and all these shouts about attempt simply propagation, but before people nobody has apologized, and hasn’t told at all that it nothing the proved to be true delirium.

— Whether there is no influence of the Turkish factor on Crimean Tatar national movement?

— Despite historical links of Turkey and the Crimean Tatars today it is impossible to speak about a little essential Turkish influence on Crimea. First, in Crimea there is no big Turkish capital. Separate cafes-restaurants which in Crimea more ten hardly is, belonging to Turkish business, yes pair of the civil engineering firms which are carrying out orders at all Crimean Tatar oligarchs, in any way it is impossible to name Turkish influence. If to have a look, who trades in Turkish consumer goods and fruit on markets of Ukraine, it will appear that the Crimean Tatars among them and half-percent don’t make. A little serious Turkish investments, unlike Russian, West European and Israeli in Crimea aren’t present.

Turks don’t participate in political life of Crimea in any way.

Turkey, as I can judge, doesn’t consider Crimea as sphere of any interests, besides trading and infrastructural. Anyhow, Turkey and Ukraine — constant geographical neighbors, they are doomed to cooperation in these spheres. The Crimean Tatars for a Turk, more likely, the small group of relatives needing humanitarian support as lives in the country of other culture and religion.

Even big Crimean Tatar diaspora in Turkey doesn’t render essential influence on the fellow tribesmen living on the historical native land. Because now it is possible to go freely enough abroad, those to whom money allows, visit, on rest or for business. But it is a little such people, because the majority of the Crimean Tatars don’t have a lot of money. In an air bus Simferopol-Istanbul ¾ usually is made by passengers in any way the Crimean Tatars and not Turks, the person of 10-15 Turks, and not on each flight of 5-8 Crimean Tatars. And from the Crimean Tatars living in Crimea, there is no orientation to Turkey, — whence and for what it to undertake? Usual people live not geopolitics, and daily cares in which Turkey doesn’t play a special role.

It is literally recently in the Ukrainian press there were statements about ostensibly 50 million the dollars annually transferred by Turkey in different forms to the Crimean Tatars. The ambassador of Turkey in Ukraine has acted with an official statement about it, having twisted that for all time the help of Turkey makes about 20 million the dollars transferred for social and cultural needs through official state ports of Ukraine. State structures of Ukraine in any way haven’t commented on this statement, thereby, have in essence confirmed it.

— Well and then by whom the Crimean Tatars in world geopolitics are guided?

— There were certain hopes of Ukraine earlier, but today there is a huge disappointment in the politician of Kiev as well as at «orange», and Victor Yanukovych. Ukraine heads for assimilation of the Crimean Tatars, whether it is Ukrainianor Russian-speaking, but all the same assimilation. The purpose of Kiev to carry out ethnic decomposition of the Crimean Tatars that they felt themselves in ready smaller degree as the Crimean Tatars, and considered themselves as citizens of Ukraine without any national features more. The Crimean Tatar national movement isn’t necessary for Ukraine as uniform ethnic self-organizing. Official Kiev is interested in the Crimean Tatars as the citizens who are not giving values of the national identity, and it is even better — with the Ukrainian identity.

As to orientation to Russia the Prorussian moods aren’t popular at the Crimean Tatars (the small organization «the Crimean Tatars for Russia» is marginal and doesn’t play any role in political life of Crimea), there are reasons.

The management of Milli Medzhdis in person of Mustafa Dzhemilev never will go on the union with Russia simply because for Dzhemilev and his command Russia is the successor of the USSR and as the leader of the Megzhlis has strongly suffered from the Soviet power (Mustafa Dzhemilev in total about 17 years has spent in the Soviet prisons and the reference) he purely psychologically can’t go on the union with Russia. However it is far not the most important thing.

The huge majority of the Crimean Tatars becomes indifferent to Ukraine, but it doesn’t mean that it burns with hopes of Russia. All in Crimea see that the Russian management concerning the Russian non-russian people pursues a policy of purposeful restriction, and in the long term — collapse of their national-territorial formations. Back it has passed couple of years with the national districts, now similar process is directed on republics — subjects of federation. It doesn’t cause any sympathies in the Crimean Tatars and in such context in Russia at the Crimean Tatars of the future isn’t present.

The Crimean Tatars know that Russia didn’t ratify and to this day doesn’t prepare to ratify the Agreement concerning restoration of the rights of the deported persons, national minorities and the people, — base for the deported people. It, as well as Ukraine, hasn’t supported the Declaration of the rights of the radical people of the United Nations. Under the Russian legislation the Crimean Tatars won’t be considered as the radical people as our number exceeds the top barrier in 50 000 persons, established by the Russian laws, us, as well as in Ukraine, will start to exhaust in «national minority» frameworks. To whom can it be pleasant?

Russia, at least, so it is submitted by the Ukrainian state structures and figures, doesn’t want to be put in any way in process of returning and arrangement of the Crimean Tatars in Crimea. The Prorussian organizations and movements in Crimea behave in relation to the Crimean Tatars extremely aggressively. Whence at all thus the Crimean Tatars can have sympathies for Russia?

— Whether there are no thereupon separative moods among the Crimean Tatars?

— That isn’t present, that isn’t present. The Crimean Tatars understand that independent the Crimean Tatar state will be incapacitated. Crimea as the independent state isn’t capable to exist and month. Crimea not only doesn’t make the electric power, sufficient for maintenance of all peninsula, but the foodstuffs and even water is compelled to deliver from other Ukraine. Even if hypothetically to imagine independent Crimea it automatically gets to dependence on the one who will contain it. Well and it is possible then to speak about what independent Crimean state? Even in days of Civil war when Crimea was completely under the power of white movement led by general Peter Vrangelem, it was impractical. If suddenly Bolsheviks wouldn’t began to attack Crimea Crimea as the independent state all the same couldn’t realize, and anyway in some months simply would be lost from a lack of resources, during that epoch — the foodstuffs.

Neither the variant of Kosovo, nor a variant of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (for example if Crimea is divided to a national sign, and in its Tatar part to proclaim independent Crimean Tatar state), a variant of Taiwan won’t be viable and obviously doomed to a failure. Crimea won’t extend even month. Any next state immediately and adequately that more than 2 million its population haven’t died out for hunger and illnesses, such burden on itself doesn’t take. And if takes, so too won’t extend. The peninsula can become a zone of humanitarian accident — without problems, but not the independent state.

I negatively concern these insignificant talks. The unique variant when Crimea as the independent state can be viable, is an example of the Crimean khanate, but not in peninsula borders, and in historical borders of khanate: from Romania to Kuban together with all south of Ukraine. But such, clear business, even there is nothing to discuss, therefore idea independent Crimean Tatar states today to consider seriously not to have.

— Well and if neither to Turkey, nor to Ukraine, to Russia to expect not to have, and the national state looks a utopia, what then to do to the Crimean Tatars on whom to be guided?

— That geopolitical nihilism which is among the Crimean Tatars today when neither Ankara, nor Kiev, Moscow can’t be the center of gravity for them, leaves a unique variant for us: the Crimean Tatars need to hope only for themselves. Mustafa Dzhemilev will leave sooner or later, his successor Refat Chubarov at all doesn’t possess the same personal qualities as his chief and when Chubarov will head Medzhlis, that won’t be and to have close even that residual authority as it has with Dzhemilev, and Medzhlis will simply descend from political life of Crimea. As today Medzhlis more and more has turned to personal firm of Dzhemilev. It isn’t pleasant to the Crimean Tatars, and at is spontaneous-spontaneous subconscious level among them there is a revaluation and the relation to Medzhlis, and the place in the world. Therefore the Crimean Tatars need to hope only for themselves, instead of on service of personal interests of Dzhemilev-Chubarov preferring quickly to change the political views depending on change of the power in Kiev. Ukraine offers us assimilation, but it isn’t wanted by the Crimean Tatars. Turkey to us is indifferent, and Russia, supports only Russian in Crimea. Therefore, entering the second decade of the XXI-st century, the Crimean Tatars need to go only by the way of self-isolation and a distancing from any geopolitical orientation until nobody can offer them that corresponded to their interests.

Has written down by Rais SULEIMANOV

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