Ukraine will never agree with the occupation of Crimea.

Ukraine will never agree with the occupation of Crimea. Ukraine will struggle for the rights of the Crimean Tatars and develop a program for the development of national autonomy of the Crimean Tatars, as stated by President Petro Poroshenko at the evening-requiem on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of deportation of the Crimean Tatars, which he visited with his wife Maryna.

"Ukraine will never agree with the occupation of Crimea and will never give one of the indigenous people of our Homeland to the wolves. We will struggle for the rights, national and political freedoms of the Crimean Tatars. Crimea is not a military base, not a "pride of Russian sailors". It is an integral part of Ukraine. It is a unique region, a jewel of world civilization, a cradle of the Crimean Tatars. It is their legal and globally recognized Homeland," Petro Poroshenko said.

According to the President, we must think over the past events taking into account our new experience and honoring the memory of the victims of deportation. "We must honestly evaluate our mistakes. Ukraine made a lot, yet not everything, to return and accomodate the Crimean Tatars in their Homeland," the President said and urgedto think about the future, when the occupied peninsula will be returned to Ukraine."We must elaborate a "road map" for the development of the national autonomy of the Crimean Tatars. Actually, it was needed already at the beginning of 90s. Probably, it would have made the events of the past year impossible," Petro Poroshenko noted.

The President reminded that he had signed laws on decommunization the previous week. The main motive for that was the desire of the communist regime to bring all the people of the Soviet Union to their knees.

Petro Poroshenko noted with regret that in February 2014, due to the occupation of the peninsula, the Crimean Tatars had faced another threat of destroying their national homeland. They faced new repressions and deprivation of fundamental political rights and humanitarian freedoms. "Last year, Ukraine and the whole world saw that the force emerged that wants to revive the Soviet empire of evil, rehabilitate Stalin and rewrite history," the President said.

The Head of State emphasizes that despite all challenges, Crimean Tatars proved that the people who fight for the truth and justice, the right to live on the native land and speak native language are invincible. "I am confident that we will win together," Petro Poroshenko said.

Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov noted that the Crimean Tatars in Crimea were going through dreadful times - they feel repression aimed at spiritual and physical destruction of people; thousands of ordinary Crimean Tatars are persecuted on trumped up accusations; Crimean Tatars are prohibited to commemorate their dead ancestors. "It is not just a ban on mass meetings, it is an attempt to rewrite the genetic code of each Crimean Tatar, delete the memory of the past," he said. "We believe that Ukraine cannot become an equal member of the European family of nations without the return of Crimea. We must defend Ukraine for the return of Crimea," he noted.

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