Letter of Seventeen


The Letter of Seventeen was an unpopular open letter to the exiled Crimean Tatar community in published in Lenin Bayrağı in March 1968 condemning the desire for right of return among other Crimean Tatars. It was dubbed "the letter of seventeen traitors".

Contents

The letter downplayed major struggles and discrimination in Asia, urging Crimean Tatars to accept the situation and take root in Central Asia rather than supporting return to Crimea that many desired. The middle of the letter claimed that Ukaz 493 "radically solved their national question"; however, the decree initially confused some Crimean Tatars into thinking they were allowed to return, where they were deported again. Labeled Crimean Tatars, they were rehabilitated on paper without gaining the right to reparations or return and in addition normalizing the despised terminology of "citizens of Tatar nationality who formerly lived in the Crimea" instead of "Crimean Tatar". It painted return to Crimea as a desire that should be suppressed for the greater good. It was co-signed by 17 not widely known members of the community.

Reception

Crimean Tatar civil rights activist Yuri Osmanov referred to it as the "letter of national traitors".
Crimean Tatars were allowed right of return decades later. The letter was republished in Avdet on 15 March 1991 with commentary attacking the signers as traitors.

Signers

The 17 signers:
  • Seit Izmailov
  • Seit Tairov
  • Mustafa Cholakov
  • Mustafa Chachi
  • Shevket Atamanov
  • Anife Alchikova
  • Abduraim Appazov
  • Yaya Ablyakimov
  • Liban Appazov
  • Akhtem Mustafaev
  • Kurt Sametdinov
  • Riza Memetov
  • Gulver Asanov
  • Shevket Kadyrov
  • Meryem Kovaleva
  • Isa Azizov
  • Memet Molochnikov