News:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Ukraine and Turkey came to agreement about cooperation in space projects within the multi-billion space program and granting 10 million dollars as humanitarian aid. Also the two presidents approved granting Ukraine a 50 million dollar loan and the involvement of Turkish companies in recovery of Donbass.
During his visit to Kiev Erdogan also met with representatives of Crimean Tatar people, where the current situation of Crimean Tatars and imposition of sanctions to Russia was discussed. (Source: )
Comment:
While systematic pressure (searches, confiscation of religious literature, arrests and detentions of activists of national and religious organizations) is applied by Russian authorities on Crimean Tatars. Many from the Crimean Muslims direct their attention to actions of Turkey in this conflict. They believe that Turkey could and should play an important role in this conflict since it has centuries-old historical and cultural ties between the Turkish and Crimean Tatar people. Arrival of Turkish President R.T. Erdogan to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on 20th of March also attracted their attention.
But immediately after this visit it became clear that Turkey does not plan to undertake any active steps in defending rights of Muslims in Crimea. Turkish government refused to exert pressure by imposing economical sanctions. Although Erdogan said, that he will continue to keep an eye on situation of Crimean Tatars, who have been under constant pressure for more than year, but in reality his position became utterly obvious at 1st December 2014 during his press-conference with Russian president V. Putin, when he refrained from criticizing Russia actions against Crimean Muslims.
In this context it is worse to mention about some political actions and statements made by Turkish officials in recent months:
During the second half of February 2015 when Turkish military troops were evacuating remains of Suleyman-Shah, Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu commented this as follows:
“No one can hesitate in strength and determination of Turkey. It should be well known. If one stone that represent our legacy is in danger our duty is to protect it.”
On 16th of March 2015 during opening ceremony of technological center ASELSAN Erdogan while commenting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said:
“If in the early 90’s Turkey was as powerful as today, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would not occur.”
If we compare the above mentioned with each other, it becomes obvious that statements of Turkish government about concern and protection of Crimean Muslim interests is nothing else but balancing between two sides of conflict, which aims to enlist the many-million Crimean Tatar community in Turkey on the threshold of parliament elections, as well as the wish to protect interests of Turkish business in Russia and Ukraine.
Commenting statements of Erdogan about Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, we should mention that response of Erdogan in “modern Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts” (Mavi Marmara incident, slaughter in Syria and oppression of Crimean Tatars in Crimea) speaks louder and conspicuously, than his empty speculations about past events. As for the habit of making statements that are not supported with actions, after 10 years he can state as follows:
“If in 2015 Turkey was as powerful as today (2025), we would not allow any humiliation of Crimean Tatars and exerting pressure on them”
As for the statements of Prime Minister Davutoglu about protecting values of Turkish people, position of Turkey in Ukrainian crisis obviously shows that for Turkish government Turkish values are restricted only with economical interests.
Subhanallah! How could they be so ignorant about their own values?
This legacy does not consist in protecting tombs and economical interests, but consists of Islam, it is the legacy of Ottoman Khilafah, that protected Muslims in Europe, Asia and Africa over a period of centuries.
Here I do not say that Turkey must join European or Russian side in Ukrainian crisis, as well as Turkey should not be neutral, concerning only about own economical interests, but it should adhere solely to values and interests of Islam, that call for protecting of Crimean Muslims, as well as Muslims all over the world.
In turn, these values could not be implemented without abolition of capitalism and republicanism in Turkey, which prescribe to protect only political and economical interests of one nation, while neglecting interests of entire Islamic Ummah.
Today’s Turkey is a country that posses one of the biggest armies in the region, being large transport and energy hub that controls Black Sea straits, as well as being on of the biggest 20 economies in the world. The only shortcoming of Turkey is its implementation of capitalist ideology, which restricts it ruling elite by narrow national bounds.
Today, Turkey has all the opportunities to become “support point” for second Righteous Khilafah on the method of Prophethood and put an end for oppression of Muslims not only in Black Sea region, but in the whole world. And one day it will surely happen.
وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِنَصْرِ اللَّـهِ ۚ يَنصُرُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
“And that day the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful”
(Ar-Rum, 30:4-5)
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Fadl Amzayev
Head of Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Ukraine