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Crimean Tatars Ponder the Return of Russian Rule Crimean Tatars Ponder the Return of Russian Rule
(about 17 hours later)
KHOSHKELDI, Ukraine — In a narrow convenience store here in Khoshkeldi, a village of about 1,000 ethnic Tatars just outside the Crimean capital, shoppers came in one after another on Saturday, heads drooping, asking the disconsolate clerk if she had heard the latest.KHOSHKELDI, Ukraine — In a narrow convenience store here in Khoshkeldi, a village of about 1,000 ethnic Tatars just outside the Crimean capital, shoppers came in one after another on Saturday, heads drooping, asking the disconsolate clerk if she had heard the latest.
“Who needs a war?” said one, Seit-Umerob Murat, 58, echoing a sentiment expressed by several other shoppers as Russian troops surged into the Crimean Peninsula. “We all have children, grandchildren, families to care for.”“Who needs a war?” said one, Seit-Umerob Murat, 58, echoing a sentiment expressed by several other shoppers as Russian troops surged into the Crimean Peninsula. “We all have children, grandchildren, families to care for.”
He continued: “There’s no real chance of war; at least there shouldn’t be. It’s all being manufactured from above, where the big politics happens. We, people, don’t need war.”He continued: “There’s no real chance of war; at least there shouldn’t be. It’s all being manufactured from above, where the big politics happens. We, people, don’t need war.”
With the Kremlin’s seizure of Crimea on Saturday, villagers anxiously considered the prospect of a return of Russian rule, recalling Stalin’s forced deportation of the Muslim Tatars five decades ago. Like most residents, Mr. Murat returned to Crimea from exile in Central Asia in the early 1990s, and Crimean Tatars have lived in relative peace among their ethnic Russian and Ukrainian neighbors since then. With the Kremlin’s seizure of Crimea on Saturday, villagers anxiously considered the prospect of a return of Russian rule, recalling Stalin’s forced deportation of the Muslim Tatars seven decades ago. Like most residents, Mr. Murat returned to Crimea from exile in Central Asia in the early 1990s, and Crimean Tatars have lived in relative peace among their ethnic Russian and Ukrainian neighbors since then.
“Our people are peaceful, but if they threaten us, our men will defend the community,” Mr. Murat said. “It is better to die here than leave again.”“Our people are peaceful, but if they threaten us, our men will defend the community,” Mr. Murat said. “It is better to die here than leave again.”
The masked and unmarked gunmen who have occupied strategic locations throughout Simferopol, the Crimean capital, including at least two airports and the Parliament building, have spooked the Tatars, who make up 12 percent of the Crimean population and prefer Ukrainian sovereignty. Dozens of unarmed men gathered pre-emptively on Saturday outside the station of ATR TV, a Tatar broadcast network, stating their intention to defend it against any takeover attempts.The masked and unmarked gunmen who have occupied strategic locations throughout Simferopol, the Crimean capital, including at least two airports and the Parliament building, have spooked the Tatars, who make up 12 percent of the Crimean population and prefer Ukrainian sovereignty. Dozens of unarmed men gathered pre-emptively on Saturday outside the station of ATR TV, a Tatar broadcast network, stating their intention to defend it against any takeover attempts.
On Saturday at a hastily called news conference in Simferopol, Refat Chubarov, a Tatar leader, cautioned against taking any kind of action. But he made it clear that the occupation of government buildings, which forced the election of a new, pro-Russian prime minister for Crimea, was no accident. “These buildings were occupied by people specially trained for it,” wearing unidentifiable uniforms and carrying weapons, he said.On Saturday at a hastily called news conference in Simferopol, Refat Chubarov, a Tatar leader, cautioned against taking any kind of action. But he made it clear that the occupation of government buildings, which forced the election of a new, pro-Russian prime minister for Crimea, was no accident. “These buildings were occupied by people specially trained for it,” wearing unidentifiable uniforms and carrying weapons, he said.
As they braced themselves to protect their homes, many Tatars said they could not fathom why the Ukrainian president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, abandoned his post. Mr. Murat’s weather-worn face was etched with new worries as he pondered how Ukraine ended up in such a precarious position.As they braced themselves to protect their homes, many Tatars said they could not fathom why the Ukrainian president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, abandoned his post. Mr. Murat’s weather-worn face was etched with new worries as he pondered how Ukraine ended up in such a precarious position.
“Yanukovych was going back and forth while there was a scandal brewing,” Mr. Murat said. “If you’re in charge and things are falling apart at home, you must stay. If you have a fight with your wife, you cannot leave your home and children while there’s still chaos. You must resolve the problem.”“Yanukovych was going back and forth while there was a scandal brewing,” Mr. Murat said. “If you’re in charge and things are falling apart at home, you must stay. If you have a fight with your wife, you cannot leave your home and children while there’s still chaos. You must resolve the problem.”
Turning toward a calendar with Islamic calligraphy hanging on the store wall, Mr. Murat expressed resignation. “No one has control of the situation now,” he said. “Every group is just looking out for themselves.”Turning toward a calendar with Islamic calligraphy hanging on the store wall, Mr. Murat expressed resignation. “No one has control of the situation now,” he said. “Every group is just looking out for themselves.”