DISINFO: Crimean Tatars to support Putin in March Presidential election
SUMMARY
The head of the Public Council of the Crimean-Tatar People, a group that includes 20 Crimean Tatar organizations publicly declares support for Putin as President.
RESPONSE
The source for this story is Seitumer Numetullayev, the head of the Public Council of the Crimean-Tatar People, a group that allegedly includes 20 Crimean Tatar organizations. However, Numetullayev has never been a Crimean Tatar leader. Prior to the annexation of Crimea he was a member of ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s Regions Party heading a regional administration in the southern Kherson province. He established the Public Council of the Crimean Tatar People in 2014, the organization is completely subservient to Crimea’s occupying authorities. According to the sole genuine representative body of the Crimean Tatars, the Medjlis, Numetullayev and his organization have no influence or support among the Crimean Tatar people. The Medjlis is a national parliament with historic traditions in Arabic, Persian and Muslim societies. The Crimean Tatar Medjlis was organized in 1991. Russian authorities declared the organization extremist and banned it in 2016. Refat Chubarov, the current Medjlis chairman is banned from entering Crimea. Today the Medjlis is based in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and is recognized by Ukraine’s parliament as the representative organ of the Crimean Tatars. Further debunking by Stopfake www.stopfake.org/en/fake-crimean-tatars-to-support-putin-in-march-presidential-election/, .