Crimean Tatars: Chubarov Decries Systematic Militarisation of Crimea by Russia
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Crimean Tatar Mejlis Chairman, Mr Rufat Chubarov, in a meeting between representatives of NATO and Ukraine, decried the increasing and systematic militarization of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia. Chubarov further noted that this strategy and other measures taken by the Russian occupiers since the illegal annexation of Crimea create conditions that force local communities – notably the Crimean Tatar population – to leave their homeland.
Below is an article published by 1492 News:
According to UNIAN, at a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council in Kyiv on Wednesday [15 June 2016] Chubarov said: 'Russia has been pursuing the policy that is already obvious to all of us: it has been turning the Crimean peninsula into a powerful military base on the southern flank of NATO. Russia has started systematically ousting disloyal people from Crimea.'
According to Chubarov, Russia creates conditions that force people to leave their own land. “The displacement of the Crimean Tatars is an obvious goal and tasks of the occupying authorities,” he said.
In this context, the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian politicians cannot but disagree that the return of Crimea is premature, Chubarov said.
Refat Chubarov is a Ukrainian politician and public figure, leader of the Crimean Tatar national movement in Ukraine and worldwide. In November 2015 Russia unsuccessfully tried to place Chubarov on the Interpol search list, after a Ukrainian query not to admit this request. Russia accused Chubarov of calling for secession of Crimea from Russia.
The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People was labelled an 'extremist organisation' and subsequently banned by Crimea's Supreme Court on 26 April 2016.
