On Thursday, June 22, at the Ukrinform news agency, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center held a press conference as part of the #LIBERATECRIMEA information campaign dedicated to the Day of the Crimean Tatar flag.
About this day and the history of the Crimean Tatar flag were speaking:
- Eskender Bariiev – Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, head of the Department for Legal Affairs and Foreign Affairs of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people;
- Tetiana Podvorniak – Communications Manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center;
- Viktor Voinalovych – First Deputy Chairman of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience;
- Refat Chubarov – Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people;
- Tamila Tasheva – Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Eskender Bariiev emphasized that this day is celebrated at the national and international levels and spoke about the campaign “United by the flag – #LIBERATECRIMEA”, within which the Crimean Tatar flag visited 28 countries of the world during 9 months.
“Today, the Crimean Tatar flag has become a symbol of the struggle for the liberation of the occupied Crimea and the restoration of the integrity of Ukraine. Today it is important to give an official status to the Day of the Crimean Tatar flag as a sign of solidarity with the indigenous people who continue to fight for the freedom of Crimea”,- he said.
The CTRC calls on the President of Ukraine to grant official status to the Day of the Crimean Tatar Flag and asks all those who are not indifferent to support our initiative.
The official day of the Crimean Tatar flag is a way to restore historical justice in relation to the indigenous people of Ukraine, as well as a step towards the de-occupation of Crimea.
As part of the event, Tetiana presented the visual information content prepared by the CTRC for the Day of the Crimean Tatar Flag as part of the #LIBERATECRIMEA information campaign: a test, posters, videos, as well as a mask on Instagram and Facebook.
“All our visual information products are aimed at ensuring that Ukrainians have a better knowledge of the history of the emergence of the Crimean Tatar flag, and also understand why it is important to know this. In addition, it is with the help of our visual products that we strive to achieve an even greater unification of the two peoples within one state. Therefore, we call on all those who are not indifferent to participate in our activities and call on the President to grant official status to the Day of the Crimean Tatar flag”,- she said.
“It has already become a tradition for us that the Crimean Tatar flag embodies many different meanings. First of all, it is necessary to single out the Crimean Tatar flag as a symbol of national unity, the heredity of generations and an irresistible desire for freedom, the right to live freely on one’s own land”,- said Viktor Voinalovych.
Mr. Refat added in his speech that until 2014, many did not know the meaning of the Crimean Tatar flag.
“After 2014 and numerous actions that were carried out by representatives of the Crimean Tatar people on the peninsula, most people began to recognize the Crimean Tatar flag not only in Ukraine, but also in the world. Understanding the important role of the Crimean Tatar flag, the enemy is trying to use all resources to discredit it as much as possible”,- he said.
Ms. Tamila stressed that the Crimean Tatar flag is present at key events related to the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula.
“For the tenth year in Ukraine, the Day of the Crimean Tatar flag will be celebrated. The Crimean Tatar flag is present at key events related to the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula. During the Crimean Platform summit, the Crimean Tatar flag flew on a par with all other flags of the Crimean Platform member states. A number of state decisions are already being prepared for the Day of the Crimean Tatar flag at the official level”,- she said.
For its part, the representation of the President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea will join the actions and flash mobs that will be developed by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and the Crimean Tatar Resource Center for the Day of the Crimean Tatar flag.
Let us recall that earlier the Crimean Tatar Resource Center presented a new information campaign #LIBERATECRIMEA, which is designed to raise the level of awareness of the population of Ukraine about the situation in the occupied Crimea.
More details about this campaign can be found on the landing page – https://www.ctrcenter.org/liberatecrimea/
This project is being implemented by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center as part of its project implemented under the USAID/ENGAGE activity, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Pact. The contents of this project are the sole responsibility of Pact and its implementing partners and do not necessary reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.