We’re asking Turkey not to be quiet

Free Idel-Ural civic movement appealed to Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister for foreign affairs of Turkey. In their open letter activists point out numerous examples of violation of civic, national and cultural rights of Idel-Ural native peoples and call Turkey to come forward as a mediator in dialog with Moscow.

“Our movement permanently monitors situation in Idel-Ural with a view to make Russian authorities to ensure rights of native population. We are compelled to note, that it is increasingly difficult to keep national and cultural identity of our people. Situation is getting worse from year to year. Activity of national parties is forbidden, official registrations of numerous public associations and mass medias are annulled. The fact, that we did not become Russians until now, that we haven’t disavowed our national identity, that we are struggling to keep our mother tongues and religion, are being interpreted by Russian authorities as disloyalty to Russian Federation. Moscow offers us just to drink tea, to dance and to sing. Instead we want national self-determination. Therefore our movement asks Turkey to come forward as a mediator in dialog with Moscow. We demand to stop oppressions of native peoples in Russia, restore registrational records of national parties and allow them to take part in local elections”, – says Rafis Kashapov, co-founder of Free Idel-Ural civic movement and author of the appeal. 

Let’s remind, that on March 1, 2019 Idel-Ural civic movement will organize picketing of diplomatic offices of Russian Federation in Great Britain, USA, Ukraine and Turkey with a demand to stop oppressions of Russian authorities against freedom of speech in internet.