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CRIMEAN TATARS 'INSEPARABLE PART' OF UKRAINIAN SOCIETY - YANUKOVYCH
RIA Novosti
May 18, 2011
KIEV
Crimean Tatars, who were illegally deported from the Crimean Peninsula
during World War II and returned to their homeland in the 1990s, are
an inseparable part of Ukraine's multicultural society, the country's
president, Viktor Yanukovych, said on Monday.
On May 18, 1944, the Soviet authorities began to illegally deport
Crimean Tatars, along with Germans, Armenians, Bulgarians and Greeks,
on charges of mass desertion from the Red Army and cooperation with
Nazi troops during WWII.
Some 200,000 Tatars were deported to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Siberia. Since Ukraine gained independence
in 1991, many Tartars have returned to Crimea to reestablish their
roots.
"The obtaining of independence by Ukraine has paved the way for those
deported to return to their homeland, and we can now be proud of the
diversity of our multiethnic cultural heritage," Yanukovych was quoted
as saying by his press service.
"We have the right to be proud that there have been no serious
inter-ethnic conflicts since Ukraine became independent," he said.
"This means that we are a united people."
Yanukovych said, however, that Ukraine should take more efforts to
establish a full-fledged inter-cultural dialogue between various
ethnic groups living in the country in order to increase tolerance
in public life.
From: Baghdasarian
RIA Novosti
May 18, 2011
KIEV
Crimean Tatars, who were illegally deported from the Crimean Peninsula
during World War II and returned to their homeland in the 1990s, are
an inseparable part of Ukraine's multicultural society, the country's
president, Viktor Yanukovych, said on Monday.
On May 18, 1944, the Soviet authorities began to illegally deport
Crimean Tatars, along with Germans, Armenians, Bulgarians and Greeks,
on charges of mass desertion from the Red Army and cooperation with
Nazi troops during WWII.
Some 200,000 Tatars were deported to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Siberia. Since Ukraine gained independence
in 1991, many Tartars have returned to Crimea to reestablish their
roots.
"The obtaining of independence by Ukraine has paved the way for those
deported to return to their homeland, and we can now be proud of the
diversity of our multiethnic cultural heritage," Yanukovych was quoted
as saying by his press service.
"We have the right to be proud that there have been no serious
inter-ethnic conflicts since Ukraine became independent," he said.
"This means that we are a united people."
Yanukovych said, however, that Ukraine should take more efforts to
establish a full-fledged inter-cultural dialogue between various
ethnic groups living in the country in order to increase tolerance
in public life.
From: Baghdasarian