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Journal of Turkish Daily
March 9 2014
Crimea: From Ottoman era to Russia referendum
9 March 2014
Crimea's status is one of the hottest topics on the international
agenda in the wake of the four month political crisis in Ukraine which
saw the flight of pro-Russian ex-President Viktor Yanukovych.
Crimea's parliament voted last Thursday in favor of joining Russia,
and calls for a referendum on the region's future with Ukraine on
March 16. Its decision comes as Russian armed forces continue to
maintain their presence on the peninsula.
Crimea has been under the control of many states during its history
including the Huns, Khazars and the Byzantine Empire during the early
and Middle Ages until it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1475.
Crimea was first given independence in 1774 with the Treaty of Kucuk
Kaynarca between the Ottoman Empire and Russia, and then occupied by
the Russians in 1783. Following Russia's occupation, the Turkish
population in the city was forced to migrate and left for Turkey,
Romania and Bulgaria.
- Expulsion of Crimean Tatars under Stalin
The Crimean Soviet Socialist Republic was created in November 1921
following the 1917 Russian Revolution. Germany occupied Crimea in 1941
during the Second World War and Russian Soviet Republic took it back
in 1944, but not without deporting some 300,000 Crimean Tatars (a
Turkic ethnic group), in the territory upon collaborating with Germans
during the world war.
The Soviet administration under Stalin then eliminated the Crimean
Soviet Socialist Republic and gave provincial status to the region
under the name 'Soviet Socialist Republic'.
- Integration with Ukraine in Khrushchev era
In 1954 Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist
Republic by the USSR as a "gift" by the then Soviet Russian leader,
Nikita Khrushchev.
In September 1967, Russia officially recognised the unfair treatment
of Crimean Tatars during the Stalin era, but the return of Crimean
Tatars to their homeland was not allowed at the time.
Only after a Supreme Soviet decree on the recognition of the
illegality of the indigenous population's forced resettlement and in
recognition of their rights, Crimean Tatars began to return to their
homeland in large numbers. The Tatar population reached 150,000 by
1991, representing half the total Tatar population before Stalin
managed to return their homeland.
After a referendum in January 1991, the Crimean Soviet Socialist
Republic was re-declared and the Ukrainian Soviet Republic decided on
the establishment of Crimea Autonomous Region the same year to prevent
Crimea passing under Russian control once again.
The Mejlis (central executive body) of the Crimean Tatar People
gathered in June 1991 in Crimea's capital and administrative center,
Simferopol, under the leadership of human rights activist Mustafa
Abdulcemil Kirimoglu.
The parliamentary seats in the Crimean Republic were raised from 80 to
98 in 1991. 14 seats were given to Crimean Tatars, while Greeks,
Armenians, Germans and Bulgarians were given one seat each.
Upon the decision to hold referendum to vote on the independence of
Crimea, Ukrainian authorities abolished the Crimean constitution and
presidency in March 1995. This was the first harsh reaction by Ukraine
over pro-Russians in Crimea after the dissolution of the Soviet
Republic.
The vast majority of the Crimean Autonomous Republic's parliament, now
under de-facto Russian control, comprise of ethnic Russians and
Russian speakers, which make up 60 percent of the total Crimean
population. Armed groups which later turned out to be Russian soldiers
seized the parliamentary building on February 27, and after that,
parliamentary sessions began to discuss Crimea's future. The Crimean
parliament also elected a pro-Russian parliamentary speaker and prime
minister unilaterally. However, referendum and elections in the region
requires the Ukrainian government's approval. The Ukrainian government
emphasizes that all decisions taken after February 27 in the Crimean
parliament are unilateral and illegal.
9 March 2014
Anadolu Agency
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/164262/crimea-from-ottoman-era-to-russia-referendum.html
March 9 2014
Crimea: From Ottoman era to Russia referendum
9 March 2014
Crimea's status is one of the hottest topics on the international
agenda in the wake of the four month political crisis in Ukraine which
saw the flight of pro-Russian ex-President Viktor Yanukovych.
Crimea's parliament voted last Thursday in favor of joining Russia,
and calls for a referendum on the region's future with Ukraine on
March 16. Its decision comes as Russian armed forces continue to
maintain their presence on the peninsula.
Crimea has been under the control of many states during its history
including the Huns, Khazars and the Byzantine Empire during the early
and Middle Ages until it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1475.
Crimea was first given independence in 1774 with the Treaty of Kucuk
Kaynarca between the Ottoman Empire and Russia, and then occupied by
the Russians in 1783. Following Russia's occupation, the Turkish
population in the city was forced to migrate and left for Turkey,
Romania and Bulgaria.
- Expulsion of Crimean Tatars under Stalin
The Crimean Soviet Socialist Republic was created in November 1921
following the 1917 Russian Revolution. Germany occupied Crimea in 1941
during the Second World War and Russian Soviet Republic took it back
in 1944, but not without deporting some 300,000 Crimean Tatars (a
Turkic ethnic group), in the territory upon collaborating with Germans
during the world war.
The Soviet administration under Stalin then eliminated the Crimean
Soviet Socialist Republic and gave provincial status to the region
under the name 'Soviet Socialist Republic'.
- Integration with Ukraine in Khrushchev era
In 1954 Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist
Republic by the USSR as a "gift" by the then Soviet Russian leader,
Nikita Khrushchev.
In September 1967, Russia officially recognised the unfair treatment
of Crimean Tatars during the Stalin era, but the return of Crimean
Tatars to their homeland was not allowed at the time.
Only after a Supreme Soviet decree on the recognition of the
illegality of the indigenous population's forced resettlement and in
recognition of their rights, Crimean Tatars began to return to their
homeland in large numbers. The Tatar population reached 150,000 by
1991, representing half the total Tatar population before Stalin
managed to return their homeland.
After a referendum in January 1991, the Crimean Soviet Socialist
Republic was re-declared and the Ukrainian Soviet Republic decided on
the establishment of Crimea Autonomous Region the same year to prevent
Crimea passing under Russian control once again.
The Mejlis (central executive body) of the Crimean Tatar People
gathered in June 1991 in Crimea's capital and administrative center,
Simferopol, under the leadership of human rights activist Mustafa
Abdulcemil Kirimoglu.
The parliamentary seats in the Crimean Republic were raised from 80 to
98 in 1991. 14 seats were given to Crimean Tatars, while Greeks,
Armenians, Germans and Bulgarians were given one seat each.
Upon the decision to hold referendum to vote on the independence of
Crimea, Ukrainian authorities abolished the Crimean constitution and
presidency in March 1995. This was the first harsh reaction by Ukraine
over pro-Russians in Crimea after the dissolution of the Soviet
Republic.
The vast majority of the Crimean Autonomous Republic's parliament, now
under de-facto Russian control, comprise of ethnic Russians and
Russian speakers, which make up 60 percent of the total Crimean
population. Armed groups which later turned out to be Russian soldiers
seized the parliamentary building on February 27, and after that,
parliamentary sessions began to discuss Crimea's future. The Crimean
parliament also elected a pro-Russian parliamentary speaker and prime
minister unilaterally. However, referendum and elections in the region
requires the Ukrainian government's approval. The Ukrainian government
emphasizes that all decisions taken after February 27 in the Crimean
parliament are unilateral and illegal.
9 March 2014
Anadolu Agency
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/164262/crimea-from-ottoman-era-to-russia-referendum.html