Meanwhile, in Crimea, Vasil' Dzharty, head of the autonomous republic, drafted a letter to Mejlis leader Mustafa Dzhemil'ov requesting that he use his influence in the Tatar community to encourage Tatar squatters to vacate their homes. Dzharty stated in the letter that the situation these squatters have created is a major roadblock to the economical and social development of the peninsula. He also stated that if Dzhemil'ov did not exert his influence, the matter would be turned over to security forces. Dzhemil'ov, on official business in Turkey, responded that such questions are not solved in that manner. The Tatar leader then expressed his disappointment in the government, stating that the administration "is not interested in stability in Crimea." Five days later, while still in Turkey, Dzhemil'ov asked the President of Turkey Abdullah Gül for assistance in mitigating the conflict between the Mejlis and the Crimean government. In his letter to President Gül, Dzhemil'ov asked for Turkey to adopt a program of building apartments, schools, houses, and hostels for immigrants and Tatars in addition to laying out the Tatar community's major grievances with the Dzarty and Yanukovich administrations. Dzhimil'ov also spoke with President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Mevlut Cavusoglu in Turkey on the same topic. Cavusoglu said that he and his deputies would see to it that Ukraine fulfill its obligations to the Council of Europe in regards to the treatment of the Tatar minority in Crimea.
Articles referred to in this post:
"Київський Патріархат закликає керівництво держави не порушувати міжконфесійний мир через прагнення змінити законодавство" (Kyiv Patriarchate calls on government leaders to not break the interconfessional peace by changing legislation)
http://www.irs.in.ua/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=787%3A1&catid=34%3Aua&Itemid=61&lang=uk"Звернення Архієрейського Собору УПЦ Київського Патріархату до Президента України" (Address of the Council of Archbishops of the UOC Kyiv Patriarchate to the President of Ukraine)
http://www.irs.in.ua/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=786%3A1&catid=50%3Azv&Itemid=78&lang=uk
"М.Джемільов: На частку кримських татар припадає тільки 17% самозахоплень землі в Криму" (M. Dzhemil'ov: Crimean Tatars account for only 17% of squatted-upon land in Crimea)
http://www.rbc.ua/ukr/newsline/show/m-dzhemilev-na-dolyu-krymskih-tatar-prihoditsya-tolko-17--19012011092200"Кримських татар попросили піти" (Crimean Tatars are asked to leave)
http://www.epravda.com.ua/news/2011/01/19/267009/"ПАРЄ спробує розібратися в конфлікті кримських татар і керівництва автономії" (PACE [Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] will try to mediate conflict between Crimean Tatars and the autonomous republic's leadership)
http://www.epravda.com.ua/news/2011/01/24/267809/
4-5 years ago, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) lobbied for legislation that ostensibly spoke about equality of religion, but the fine print actually gave religious preference to the ROC. As Ukraine grows closer to Russia, will the ROC in Ukraine play a greater role? How was Kyrill’s visit last year portrayed in the mainstream Ukrainian press? You might have seen already, but the article below spells out some of the background and stakes involved.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/05/storm-clouds-in-ukraine
On the Tatar housing issue, what are the legal rights of these ‘squatters’? Have the Ukrainian (or Crimean) governments helped to compensate Tatar families for lost property?
Each of Patriarch Kirill's visits to Ukraine has met with protests that grow larger every time. Ukrainian nationalists, most aligning with either Archbishop Lyubomir of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics or Patriarch Filaret of the UOC-KP, have grown increasingly wary of the ROC's plans for Ukraine. The events of President Yanukovich's inauguration as the article you linked mentions only served to exacerbate those feelings.
ReplyDeleteI have come across several reports and articles written by members of the UGCC or the UOC-KP that call out the government for colluding with the UOC-MP (and thereby the ROC) in stifling the growth of these and other churches. Also, it is no secret that Patriarch Kirill wishes that Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine all be united under one faith, yet I think it would be too hasty to say that this scenario will for sure be played out. There are simply too many powerful forces at play here.
Regarding the 'squatters,' each Ukrainian president since independence has promised some sort of land and economic stimulus for the Tatars, and each has reneged. Part of my post for this week deals with this issue in greater detail, but the gist of it is, that the Tatar population is growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of support from both the Crimea and Ukrainian governments.