“The task of our generation is to preserve the memory of such people and pass it on from generation to generation, because the values that guided both Ayshe-hanum and activists of the national movement like her, and the sacrifices they made for the benefit of their people, opened the way for thousands of Crimean Tatars to return home, to their homeland, to Crimea,” – Zarema Bariieva

On June 1, legendary Crimean Tatar activist Ayshe Seitmuratova, one of the key figures of the national movement who fought for the rights of her people for decades, passed away in her native Crimea at the 88th year of her life. Her memory was honored by the manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center Zarema Bariieva, who in her publication recalled her many years of personal acquaintance and friendship with Ayshe hanum.

Zarema shared her memories of Seitmuratova’s assistance during the years of occupation in communicating with the U.S. Embassy. Even after being forced to move to another continent, Ayshe Seitmuratova remained the voice of her people, fighting for truth, justice and the return of Crimean Tatars home.

“Such were the circumstances that she had to go to the other side of the world to defend her home there and to become the voice of the Crimean Tatar people, who in those years struggled with the consequences of the 1944 deportation and the repression of the Soviet authorities.
It was there that  Ayshe Seitmuratova sought the truth for her people, using all the levers available and unavailable to her at that time, acquaintances, connections with various officials, diplomats and, in particular, the Presidents of the USA,”  – wrote Zarema Bariieva.

Zarema also shared her memories of warm and meaningful meetings with Ayshe Seitmuratova in her home – hour-long conversations about the struggle, imprisonment, her work at Radio Liberty and Voice of America, and her life path full of challenges and sacrifice.

“The life story of this woman is very difficult, but one thing I want to note is that she was an optimist in her life, a truth-teller, a true and genuine patriot, thanks to which she became one of the female faces of the resistance of the Crimean Tatar people,”-  emphasized the manager of the CTRC.

In conclusion, she emphasized that the memory of such women as Ayshe khanum is a moral duty of our generation to pass this memory on as an example of self-sacrifice, steadfastness and deep love for the Crimean Tatar people and Crimea