A scientific conference dedicated to the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was held on Thursday, 8 August, at the initiative of the Consul of Ukraine in Istanbul.
The event was joined by the Consul General of Ukraine in Istanbul Roman Nedilsky, his wife Liudmyla Nedilska, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Centre, member of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Eskender Bariiev, representatives of the Crimean Tatar people and representatives of the Crimean Tatar diaspora in Turkey.
Those present discussed the situation of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, and also drew attention to the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine.
Eskender Bariiev, Chairman of the Board of the CTRC, noted in his speech that Ukraine’s ties with Turkey are actually very strong.
‘The indigenous peoples of Ukraine are Turkic peoples, accordingly they are a link for the Turkic world to communicate more with Ukraine and more, let’s say, to support Ukraine in the fight against the enemy,’ he explained.
In addition, Eskender Bariiev added that it is the Turkic peoples who have suffered a lot from Russian imperialism. This applies not only to Turkic peoples who are indigenous peoples of Ukraine, but also including those Turkic peoples living on the territory of the Russian Federation.
‘Once still famous figure Taras Bulba-Burovets in 1951 said that Ukraine and the Turkic world is a great force to resist imperialism,’- the expert emphasised.