The Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva took part in the ceremony of raising the Crimean Tatar flag in the heroic city of Irpin on the occasion of the Third Summit of the Crimea Platform.  

The Crimean Tatar flag, a blue cloth with a golden tarah-tamga, was raised on the Central Square of the heroic city of Irpin and will remain there until the full de-occupation of Crimea. The residents and guests of the city also honoured with a minute of silence the memory of the fallen Crimean Tatars who gave their lives for the right to live on their native land. 

In addition to the Permanent Representative, the flag-raising ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Irpin Oleksandr Markushyn, Head of Kyiv Regional State Administration Ruslan Kravchenko, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, and Chairman of the Irpin Investment Council Volodymyr Karpliuk.   

During her speech, Tamila Tasheva emphasised the importance of the Crimean Tatar flag, which is a symbol of the centuries-long struggle of the Crimean Tatars for their freedom, their unity and continuity of generations. The Permanent Representative recalled the names of those who died at the outbreak of the war in 2014 from the hands of the Russian military. These included Reshat Ametov, the first civilian to be abducted and killed by the Russian occupiers in March 2014, and Serhiy Kokurin and Stanislav Karachevsky, Ukrainian soldiers who died during the occupation of Crimea.

Tamila Tasheva highlighted the crimes of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for dozens of enforced disappearances, torture of detainees, banning the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, constant pressure and persecution, and searches of mosques. The Permanent Representative recalled Nariman Dzhelal, the first Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, who was detained by the occupiers after participating in the Inaugural Summit of the Crimean Platform in 2021. 

“The totalitarian machine has implemented a full range of inhumane measures against the indigenous people and other residents of Crimea who did not submit to the occupation. They always try to destroy those who do not submit to the occupier. But we are not giving up and we will not give up. Just as today the State Flag of Ukraine and the Crimean Tatar flag are flying in Irpin, which was liberated from the Russian occupiers, they will definitely be fluttering on the square in Simferopol, Bakhchisarai, Sevastopol and our Ukrainian Yalta,” the Permanent Representative added. 

In addition, Ms. Tamila shared the successful results of the Crimean Platform, which continues to unite the efforts of different countries to liberate Crimea from the occupiers. 

We would like to thank Irpin City Council and Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn for the initiative and organisation of the event, as well as all the participants for joining this remarkable event. 

Glory to Ukraine! 

Crimea is Ukraine!