“Dostluq was the first newspaper to publish in Crimean Tatar after the deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944. It quickly became an important source of information, culture and education for the Crimean Tatar people.
In the 1990s, the newspaper changed its name to “Qırım” (“Crimea”), symbolizing the Crimean Tatars’ desire to return to their historical homeland and regain their rights. For many years, “Qırım” newspaper covered the key events, problems and achievements of the Crimean Tatar people.
However, after the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, Qırım came under pressure from the occupation authorities. The publication and its journalists faced harassment, searches and censorship. For example, in 2021, a “court” in the occupied Crimea fined the newspaper’s editor-in-chief Bekir Mamutov for publishing a UN report that mentioned the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people banned in Russia. In May 2024, Russian law enforcers again searched his house and editorial office and seized equipment. These actions of the Russians were related to the material about the impossibility of the Crimean Tatars to fight against Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation. Bekir Mamutov is accused of “discrediting the Russian Federation” and failing to provide information about receiving funds.
Despite these difficulties, “Qırım” continues its activities, disseminating truthful information and supporting the entire Crimean Tatar people.
Supporting independent Crimean Tatar media outlets such as Qırım is important for the preservation of Crimean Tatar culture and identity. Let us remember and support them in these difficult times.