“For me, assimilation is equal to death” — serviceman with a call sign Tatar
“I'm really sorry that people know about Crimean Tatars only in terms of Ms. Jamala and great food,” says a soldier with the call sign Tatar.
In 2014, he was among the activists who came to the Supreme Council of Crimea to prevent the referendum from being held by the adherents of the “Russian world”. Today he is defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces.
Did the Crimean Tatars do everything possible to ensure that Crimea remained Ukrainian? What did the Mejlis do and why did it not have enough influence? Why do Crimean Tatars need national autonomy and what should it be like? Why is there no Crimean Tatar battalion in the Ukrainian Armed Forces? Tatar spoke about these issues in a conversation with serviceman Serhii Hnezdilov in the ++ podcast.
What really happened in Crimea right after the Maidan
Our family, relatives, friends, acquaintances, loved ones — everyone tried to take part in the Maidan in Kyiv in one way or another. We sent food, money, medicines to the Maidan — everything that was needed at that time for people who were defending our rights.
Later, a kind of Maidan took place in Crimea. In my opinion, the problem is that not everyone has yet realized what exactly it was.
In 2014, the population of Crimea was approximately 2.5 million people. The first in number were Russians, the second were Ukrainians, a little more than 600 thousand, if I'm not mistaken, and the third were us, the Crimean Tatars, a little more than 200 thousand people.
When in 2014 the adherents of the “Russian world” gathered near the Supreme Council of Crimea with Russian flags, they wanted to hold a referendum. We, the Crimean Tatars, reacted to this. Against 1.5 thousand supporters of the “Russian world”, we were able to gather more than 15 thousand people. We came out with two flags — Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar ones. We tried to defend the integrity of Ukraine and prevent the referendum from being held. Then the Russians promised our representatives that there would be no referendum. And we went home.
It is significant that some Russians who had moved to Crimea long before the events of 2014 joined us. I remember one of them shouting at the top of his lungs, “I fled Russia 10 years ago, and now you are inviting this Russia here! You don't know what you're doing, wake up!”
What caused the annexation of Crimea
In my opinion, the best answer to this question was given by Viacheslav Chornovil. In his interviews, he stated that the creation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in the form in which it existed all these years of independence was a mistake because it is absolutely technical autonomy. It was actually created for Russia and the Russians.
Nowadays, I often hear that it was allegedly autonomy that caused the annexation of Crimea. You have to understand that by saying that autonomy is to blame for everything, you are justifying Russia. The only reason that became a catalyst for the events of 2014 was the Russian Federation, the Russian people. And only their actions led to what we have today.
Russia doesn't care what the name of this or that territory is (autonomy or region) — it will come here because it wants to destroy you.
Why Crimean Tatars do not partisan in Crimea
I hear a lot of ridiculous questions, in my opinion. For example, I am asked why Crimean Tatars have not been guerrilla warriors in Crimea for these 10 years. Having been through the Serebrianka Forest and other parts of Donbas, I find it very funny to hear this. Because with today's technology, any guerrilla warfare doesn’t make sense.
I am often asked why Crimean Tatars do not take Molotov cocktails and burn tanks. Recalling the 12-kilometer-long convoy of vehicles that went to Crimea at the beginning of the annexation, I always give only one answer: “Okay, no problems, come join our army, I'll put you in a tank-hazardous area, give you a Molotov cocktail, and watch you burn tanks.”
Unfortunately, these questions are usually asked by people who have never been under occupation, and who have never faced tanks. Therefore, such questions will appear again and again. The only option here is to convey the reality.
National autonomy
I believe and hope that one day such a moment will come. The creation of national autonomy is not about a state within a state. This does not violate the unitary nature of the Ukrainian state. There are many European countries, such as France, that have autonomous entities. This is purely about administrative division.
People often say that if we give autonomy to the Crimean Tatars now, then Transcarpathian Hungarians and others will demand autonomy. No, to do this, you need to understand the difference between indigenous peoples and national minorities, to study the Constitution.
There are only four indigenous peoples in Ukraine: Ukrainians and those who were formed on the territory of Crimea — Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks. Throughout the history of Crimea, of these three indigenous peoples, it was the Crimean Tatars who had their own statehood.
There is only one matter at stake here: the indigenous peoples should have the opportunity to influence the future, to participate in self-government, in the administrative life of the region specifically on the territory of Crimea, and at least have some protection in the development of their language and culture. And this should not affect the rights of other peoples who also live in Crimea. This is the most important thing.
The only thing I would like to see as a Crimean Tatar is that our people could have adequate representation that would at least influence something. Because during all the years of independence, we had no voice or rights. There were nominal figures. Did they have any serious influence? No, they didn’t.
Karaites and Krymchaks
The Krymchaks, as far as I know, have preserved pure Judaism in its original form, and the Karaites have their own religion, Karaism.
There are very few of them left — a few hundred, just like the Krymchaks. Sadly, these are relics. Fortunately, there are still representatives who are trying to preserve culture and religion, but they are very few.
Mejlis: why it had no influence
The Mejlis is actually a representative body, a national body. We had transparent elections. The question is how the Mejlis was perceived by the Ukrainian authorities. At the national level, we may have been heard in some way. At the local Crimean level, where the Russians were in charge, the Mejlis was not taken seriously at all.
Today, this body should be re-elected. In principle, there should also be a representation of the Mejlis, some kind of adequate opposition, if certain issues are not agreed upon.
Unfortunately, we cannot re-elect the Mejlis because the majority of our people are in the occupied territories. It is impossible to hold elections or to create any legitimate opposition that could defend certain issues.
Crimean Tatar battalion
Russia is doing to the Ukrainian people and state what it has been doing to my people and state since the eighteenth century. Because the Crimean Tatars, for better or worse, have had three hundred years of their own statehood.
As for the war, I always have a question: why is there an idea that there should be any Crimean Tatar battalions? As if we are some kind of foreign legion. We are citizens of Ukraine, just like Ukrainians, Karaites, and Krymchaks.
Crimean Tatars are fighting. The only problem is that the vast majority of Crimean Tatars have relatives, friends, and families in the occupied territories.
So when people say that we have to make ourselves known, I have only one request: take your entire family to the occupied territories, hand them over to the Russians, and then go out in public and kill the Russians. Let’s see how quickly Russians will come to visit your loved ones.
Because the families and loved ones of our Crimean Tatar soldiers are still in the occupied territories, these soldiers are forced to fight virtually anonymously.
Why Crimean Tatars do not leave the occupied territories
In fact, Ukraine is aware of the deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944, but, unfortunately, few people know that this is the eighth or ninth deportation since the eighteenth century.
Luckily, Ukraine has never had a moment when there was not a single Ukrainian left on its territory. In Crimea, there have been six or seven such cases with the Crimean Tatars.
Therefore, in my opinion, the Crimean Tatars have a moral right to establish themselves and live on their land. Those who know at least a little about how Crimean Tatars returned to Crimea, and what they have been through since the eighteenth century, simply do not ask such questions.
Salo
I am a sinner in this regard. When you sit in positions for a long time, you get hungry. I'm not a very religious person, but our religion actually says that if you are in combat or on a difficult journey, and it is necessary for your survival, you can eat so much that you don't get satisfaction but don't starve to death.
I tried it. I had to because it's really nutritious: it weighs a little, you can take it with you when you go to the position with your unit, and it saves you. Just like sweets. May the Almighty forgive me, but I had to.
Jamala, national cuisine and the cultural rise of the Crimean Tatars
I'm actually very sorry that Crimean Tatars are known only in terms of Jamala and great cuisine. We have a lot of other great artists who could be listened to as well, they make cool music. And we have great cuisine.
We have a rich culture. Unfortunately, very little is known about the Crimean Tatars. Ukrainians simply had no place to get information. It was not covered, it was not talked about.
Just a month ago, I conducted a small survey. So far, in higher education institutions, Crimean Tatars are only discussed in the context of the national liberation struggle of the Ukrainian people, when we allegedly betrayed them, without mentioning the context of those events. They talk about the events of 2014 as if we had let Russia into Crimea.
Sadly, this is the only thing that is said about us. Suppose we still don't have proper historical sources, or proper historiography in Ukraine that would adequately cover the interaction between our peoples. In that case, we will have no place to get information about the Crimean Tatars. So the fact that you don't know stuff is, unfortunately, natural in the context of our abnormality.
It is enough for a dialogue between our peoples that Russians keep their noses out of it. And we will be able to calmly talk about everything and exchange ideas and culture.
Turkey and the “Turkic World”
I want to make a disclaimer right off the bat: everything I'm going to say next is solely my personal opinion. Feel free to criticize.
Some believe that if the Crimean Tatars are granted national autonomy, they will call a referendum and join Turkey right away.
Dear Ukrainians, you have an “older brother” who brings you the “Russian world”, calls you “younger brother”, “part of the triune holy Rus”, and so on. Likewise, we, the Crimean Tatars, allegedly have an “older brother”, but he brings the “Turkic world” rather than the “Russian world” everywhere.
As a Crimean Tatar, I don't care who will come to assimilate me: Russians, Turks, Ukrainians, Finns, anyone. For me, assimilation is equal to death. I want to survive as a Crimean Tatar, I want to preserve my people by protecting them from assimilation in any form.
Turkey does not call my people “Crimean Tatars” but “Crimean Turklars”. In principle, they consider any Turkic peoples to be “Turks living in this area”. And if Turkey or any other nation does not perceive me as a separate ethnic group, as a separate nation, then for me this is a very serious indicator of what to expect in the future.
I do not want to become part of the “Turkic world”. I know very well the history of relations between the Crimean Tatars and Turkey. I understand perfectly well and draw parallels: the decline of Crimean Tatar statehood happened, in part, thanks to Turkey. Therefore, to say that I, as a Crimean Tatar, will want to join Turkey if I get national autonomy… I'm sorry, that's nonsense.