Crimean Tatars Fight for the Freedom of Crimea and Ukraine

YUSUF INAN - INTERVIEW

Crimean Tatars Fight for the Freedom of Crimea and Ukraine

Mamutov, Fevzi Rizayevych Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov (born January 28, 1991, in Kolomenske, Crimea) is a Ukrainian athlete and politician. He has been a Deputy of the Odesa Oblast Council since 2021 and a member of the "European Solidarity" party. He holds the title of International Master of Sports of Ukraine.

Biography

Born on January 28, 1991, in the village of Kolomenske, Sovietskyi Raion, Crimea. He is a Crimean Tatar and practices Sunni Islam. His family suffered greatly during the deportation of the Crimean Tatars.

He practiced Greco-Roman wrestling and has been a member of the national team since 2005. He is a former European champion among students (2014) and a German Club Champion (2018).

Since 2021, he has served as a Deputy of the Odesa Oblast Council, becoming the first Crimean Tatar in history to hold this position. He is also the head of the organization "Crimean Tatars of Odesa Oblast" and a volunteer for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

YUSUF INAN

Journalist - Writer Editor-in-Chief

Our Interview with Crimean Tatar, Odesa Deputy Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov:

YUSUF INAN: Who is Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov? What has he done until now? What are his next goals?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Fevzi Mamutov is currently a volunteer, a Crimean Tatar, a citizen of Ukraine, and a Deputy of the Odesa Oblast Council.

YUSUF INAN: What did you feel when Russia invaded Crimea? What did you witness? How did your life change?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: At the time of the annexation of Crimea, I was an athlete, a member of the national Greco-Roman wrestling team. I participated in the rally on February 26th in Simferopol. After the sham referendum, I moved to Kyiv. I felt that my people were losing their homeland yet again.

YUSUF INAN: What is happening in Crimea now?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: There are repressions, mobilization, and "bavovna" (explosions/sabotage) in Crimea right now. Many people are waiting for the return of Ukraine.

YUSUF INAN: Is the perception that Crimean Tatars are not united prevalent?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: The unity of Crimean Tatars lies in their resistance to the Kremlin. It has always been so. In this resistance, 98% of the people hold the same view.

YUSUF INAN: Are Crimean Tatars divided into pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian factions?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Pro-Russian sentiment in our nation is more of a percentage error.

YUSUF INAN: Who is the leader of the Crimean Tatars?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Mustafa Dzhemilev.

YUSUF INAN: Does he have an organized structure? If so, how does it function?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Today, there is a central representative body—the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People. Many representatives of our people are also in state sectors of Ukraine.

YUSUF INAN: Why did the Crimean Tatars not intervene in the Russian invasion of Crimea?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: February 26, 2014, was the day the resistance to the seizure of Crimea took place. But an unarmed people cannot fully resist a regular army.

YUSUF INAN: Did the Crimean Tatars, as seen from the outside, merely observe the Russian invasion of Crimea?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: There was resistance—the rally.

YUSUF INAN: Should Russia not have anticipated resistance when invading Crimea and taken precautions?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: The Ukrainian state should have done that, including in unity with the indigenous people. But Russia, by intervening in Ukraine's internal politics, lobbied for its interests, weakened the army, and divided Ukrainian society.

YUSUF INAN: Now Russia has gone further and occupied the whole of Ukraine. If Russia had faced a strong reaction to the invasion of Crimea, it would not have dared to invade Ukraine. What do you think about this?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Russia rather attacked Ukraine, but has not occupied it fully. And in this war, it is losing. Russia's insidious policy always involves intervening in a foreign country's politics and economy.

YUSUF INAN: Did you consider a Russian invasion of Ukraine possible?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Yes. Sooner or later, it had to happen. And this is exactly what will lead to the decline of Russia.

YUSUF INAN: Why was Kherson lost so easily?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: I think after the victory, they will explain to us why the occupiers entered so easily from the South. I am not a military expert.

YUSUF INAN: Are there still Crimean Tatar families in Kherson now?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Yes, in Kherson, which is under shelling after de-occupation, there are several families. Many families are under occupation in the region.

YUSUF INAN: Did anyone die during the occupation? Are there families exiled to Russia?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Yes, there are people killed, tortured, and imprisoned.

YUSUF INAN: Do you and the Crimean Tatars have any work planned for resurrection and restoration?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: The only viable option we see today is national autonomy within the Ukrainian state.

YUSUF INAN: How did you get into politics?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: I got into politics through social activism and thanks to a competent team. Fate gave me a chance, thanks to which we can be useful and change the state for the better.

YUSUF INAN: What social work do you do with Crimean Tatars in Odesa?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: In Odesa, we are currently engaging Crimean Tatars in volunteering, advocacy, creating jobs, and helping the army.

YUSUF INAN: Did other Turkish and Muslim communities also resist the occupation in the Ukrainian army, like you?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Of course, very many Muslims (Crimean Tatars, Turks, Azerbaijanis, Chechens, etc.) are fighting for Ukraine's independence.

YUSUF INAN: Are the majority of Crimean Tatars in Ukraine fighting on Ukraine's side against Russia?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Of course. There are many Crimean Tatars on Ukraine's side. Some, unfortunately, have died today. Some ended up in the occupier's forces only due to criminal mobilization.

YUSUF INAN: Do you plan to prosecute those who tortured Crimean Tatars?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Yes. A Tribunal is the way to search for and punish these inhuman individuals who tortured and raped people.

YUSUF INAN: What is the Ukrainian state doing for fallen soldiers and their families?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: There are payments for the families of the fallen soldiers, but no money can replace a person's life! We, for our part, support them by searching for international programs for provision, education, and moral support.

YUSUF INAN: What about the millions of Ukrainians who have sought refuge in other countries now?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: The millions of Ukrainians who went abroad have two feelings—gratitude for the support of the countries that received them and a great desire to return home.

YUSUF INAN: The Russian occupation has reached a critical stage. What does Ukraine need now?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: The most important support for the Ukrainian state is offensive weapons. We need tanks, planes, helicopters, self-propelled artillery—everything that will allow us to defeat the aggressor.

YUSUF INAN: How is the psychology of the Ukrainian people?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: The more criminal steps Russia takes on its part, the more the Ukrainian society consolidates! The Ukrainian nation is united like never before and will fight for victory until the end.

YUSUF INAN: How much do Ukrainians believe in victory?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: 101%.

YUSUF INAN: Has the opinion of the pro-Russian people changed in the face of Russia's invasion?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Of course, everyone, even pro-Russian people, understood from the beginning of this war—Russia is a terrorist!

YUSUF INAN: What do you think about the refusal of the President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy, to leave the country when asked by the USA for help?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: It was the right decision. Any president who respects himself and his country would do the same.

YUSUF INAN: President Zelenskyy achieved the impossible. What do you think about this?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: I think it is the entire Ukrainian nation that brought Putin's Russia to its knees. Putin and his brazen policy united the entire civilized world against himself.

YUSUF INAN: Do you think Russia will emerge from this war in pieces?

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: The main goal is the nuclear disarmament of this country as a whole. And then each of the countries that are part of Russia will have to fight for its independence itself. Ichkeria has already been recognized as independent in Ukraine.

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YUSUF INAN: If you have anything else to say.

Fevzi Rizayevych Mamutov: Ukraine needs weapons! We will definitely win!

INTERVIEW CONCLUDED

YUSUF İNAN / PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD (*)

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(*)  As Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, once said, 'Peace at Home, Peace in the World.' This timeless principle serves as a guiding light for nations striving for harmony, coexistence, and global stability.