Crimea Tatar leader urges NATO intervention
- 10 years ago
The leader of Crimea’s Tatars has urged NATO to intervene in the Ukrainian region, saying the alliance would avert a “massacre.”
The Turkish Muslim minority make up roughly 12 percent of Crimea’s population.
Mustafa Cemilev said: “I am not saying that (NATO) soldiers should come and chase these Russian troops out from our territory. But a series of measures should be worked out to make it impossible (for Russia) to commit without punishment this sort of aggressive action against its neighbours.”
Cemilev also called for UN peacekeepers to be sent to Crimea, but added that there would be no armed response if NATO failed to intervene.
“We are not suicidal. Life must clearly go on. We are going to look for different ways of defending our rights and saving lives of our compatriots. Our nation is not big enough to fight against Russia,” he said.
The Turkish Muslim minority make up roughly 12 percent of Crimea’s population.
Mustafa Cemilev said: “I am not saying that (NATO) soldiers should come and chase these Russian troops out from our territory. But a series of measures should be worked out to make it impossible (for Russia) to commit without punishment this sort of aggressive action against its neighbours.”
Cemilev also called for UN peacekeepers to be sent to Crimea, but added that there would be no armed response if NATO failed to intervene.
“We are not suicidal. Life must clearly go on. We are going to look for different ways of defending our rights and saving lives of our compatriots. Our nation is not big enough to fight against Russia,” he said.