Mustafa Abdülcemil Kırımoğlu, commonly known as "Mustafa Aga," has identified his long-standing struggle as a leader of the Crimean Tatar people with a peaceful resistance against the Soviet regime and later the Russian occupation.

Imprisoned, exiled and subjected to oppression countless times, Kırımoğlu said he has never wavered in his fight or faith.

"We have never surrendered," he told Daily Sabah in an exclusive interview in Istanbul. "This struggle is not just a fight for the existence of a people but also a battle to defend human dignity."

Kırımoğlu, 80, was named "Hero of the Year" by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy last year and currently serves actively as a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, representing Crimean Tatars who were deported en masse by the Soviet government in 1944.

He was only a six-month-old baby during the Crimean deportation, which is officially recognized as genocide by many countries.

"This date is of immense significance. We do not forget this history; we record it," he said.

Last year, with Zelenskyy’s participation, a monument honoring the genocide suffered by the Crimean Tatar people was opened in Kyiv, but the community is still facing challenges in the region, including the struggle to preserve their identities and freedom.

In 1774, the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca was signed, leading to Crimea's departure from Ottoman suzerainty and its emergence as an independent state. However, Russia's continuous interference and the Tatar resistance plunged the region into turmoil. In 1783, Russia annexed Crimea, bringing the region under its complete control and initiating a significant colonization process.

Kırımoğlu noted that there have been three significant traumatic periods in Crimea's history.

"The first was the first Russian occupation of Crimea in 1783. During this period, our mosques were destroyed, our archives were burned, our intellectuals were killed and our people were forced to migrate to Ottoman territories," he said.

Emphasizing that the second major catastrophe occurred in 1944, Kırımoğlu stated, "At that time, all Crimean Tatars were exiled, leaving not a single person behind. During this deportation, approximately 40% of our people died from hunger and disease."

He pointed out that the Soviet regime implemented systematic discrimination against the Crimean Tatars. "The most painful aspect was their desire to erase our identity, but we did not give up; we believed we would return," he said.

Kırımoğlu asserted that the current struggle of the Crimean Tatars is peaceful. "We did not resort to terror because if innocent people die, even if it is a victory, that victory is a loss," he said. However, he expressed that many Crimean Tatars had been imprisoned and sent to labor camps.

"Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014 was even more repressive than the Soviet regime. The current occupying regime is more ruthless than the Soviet regime. Kidnapping, killing, seizing the media and constant propaganda are their primary goals," he said.

Kırımoğlu emphasized the importance of the international community's stance on Crimea's future, saying, "Russia violated international law when it occupied Crimea, yet the world remained silent."

He said he was still concerned about the region’s future, warning that "if Crimea is not liberated, our people will either be exiled again or the remaining ones will have to be Russified."

Exile and resistance

Kırımoğlu recounted that he had been away from my homeland for many years and a significant part of his life was spent in Russian prisons and labor camps.

He currently lives in Kyiv, where young people come to take pictures with him. "These situations are not challenging for me. However, we fought for years to return to Crimea. Now, seeing that our struggle may have been in vain is a great pain," he said.

Kırımoğlu recalled when he first set foot in Crimea after years of exile.

"After being released from prison in 1973, I worked for about a year, then flew to Crimea for the first time in years," he said. He remembers a girl studying at Simferopol University who sat beside him on the plane and expressed excitement about Crimea.

"She told me so much about Crimea that I listened carefully. However, at one point, she said, 'Recently, the Crimean Tatars have started to return, and this makes us a bit uneasy.'"

He attributed her fear of Tatars’ return and settling in Russian homes to widespread propaganda against Crimean Tatars.

"There was a perception created that Crimean Tatars were savage people who would not love Russians and even kill them," he said.

Upon arriving in Simferopol, Kırımoğlu mentioned that about thirty Crimean Tatars greeted him, noting that the girl beside him asked in surprise, "What did you think of Simferopol?" Kırımoğlu replied, "Good," and added, "But actually, I am the rightful owner of this land. Relax, and you can stay at home. You have no reason to fear us."

He said if the occupation does not end, there will be no future for the Crimean Tatar people. "The hope of the Crimean Tatar people lies in the liberation of Crimea. If this does not happen, the future of our people will be very bleak," he said.

Dostoevsky and hope

This resolute stance is also reflected in Kırımoğlu's personal experiences. Having spent many years in prison for opposing the Soviet regime, Kırımoğlu recounted that one of the things that gave him strength in imprisonment was books.

He noted that he read all of Fyodor Dostoevsky's works in English and emphasized that he identified with the theme of "the internal reckoning of man," attributing his ability to maintain his mental strength despite loneliness in prison to these books.

Another symbolic event during his prison years involved a small mouse, which came at the same time every day and allowed him to estimate the hours of the day roughly.

"While sitting alone in my cell, a small mouse would come to me every day," he recalled. "I would watch it, and it would watch me. That mouse reminded me that I was not alone. Although it was such a tiny creature, the morale and hope it gave me were immense. It became a symbol of resistance for me."

For Kırımoğlu, this simple encounter became a metaphor for his people's struggle to survive against all odds. "Our story was like this; we shrank under pressure, but we did not vanish," he said.

Kırımoğlu's time spent in Soviet prisons was not only a physical struggle but also a spiritual process of resistance.

"Reading and learning always empowered me," Kırımoğlu said, highlighting that through the works of writers like Dostoevsky, he established a personal connection and added intellectual depth to the struggle for freedom. Particularly, the internal struggle he faced under prison conditions further strengthened him and solidified his belief in resistance.

One of the most brutal periods of oppression faced by the Crimean Tatar people began with Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014. This occupation once again threatened the years-long struggle of the Crimean Tatars for return. However, Kırımoğlu called upon his people to resist this new occupation peacefully. "Just as we resisted during the Soviet era, we will resist now. Our history is that of people who attempted to be eradicated but rose again every time," he said.

Meeting with leaders

Kırımoğlu also discussed his meetings with Putin's advisors in Moscow in 2014 and the subsequent events that unfolded. In a meeting with one of Putin's advisors, Kırımoğlu said he did not wish to meet directly with President Putin by saying, "I am not at your level; we have our own President; let him meet with him." However, he later spoke with Putin for about 40-45 minutes. Kırımoğlu noted that during this conversation, Putin told him Ukraine had done nothing for Crimean Tatars in 23 years of independence but that Russia could "solve your problems."

Kırımoğlu responded, "As Crimean Tatars, we were exiled by Russia in 1944 when we were part of Russia. If soldiers from another country come to your land, then we cannot talk about principles or conditions. We are Ukrainian citizens. We will act according to whatever our leader, our President, decides."

He also urged Putin to withdraw from Crimean territories and opposed Putin's statement about holding a referendum, which he said would not be recognized internationally.

Kırımoğlu mentioned that Putin said, "This phone is open 24 hours," referencing the NATO meetings held in Brussels and New York, as well as his participation in the United Nations Security Council.

He then recounted a private meeting he had with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2014.

"On the day of the fake referendum in Crimea, I came to Türkiye with the President of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly, Serhat Şubarov. At that time, President Erdoğan was in Izmir, and we went there. He asked me, 'What can we do for you?' I responded with just three requests. First, Türkiye's participation in the sanctions imposed by the European Union; second, the closing of the straits to Russian military ships; and third, Türkiye's maritime blockade aimed at protecting Crimea."

Regarding sanctions, Erdoğan said, "We are not dependent on the European Union. Russia has a significant commercial impact. We buy more than half of our oil from Russia. We have so much business; our trade is around $50 billion. A cut in iron will create a big problem."

Kırımoğlu added, "At this point, despite our support for sanctions, Erdoğan's response revealed the extent of Türkiye's commercial dependencies."

"When it comes to the issue of closing the straits, the Montreux Convention needed to be valid. If Türkiye were a party to the war, then it would have the right to close them; however, under the current circumstances, that was not possible," Kırımoğlu said. "The response to my third request was that the decision to blockade the Crimean Peninsula by Turkish ships could only be made by NATO."

He said he appreciated Türkiye for "always standing by the Crimean Tatars."

"Türkiye consistently supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and the liberation of Crimea," he said. "They also provide practical assistance. They helped by purchasing apartments for the exiled members of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly after the occupation. Türkiye established the office of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly in a central location in Ukraine, thus providing strategic support to this important organization."

Emphasizing the significance of this process, Kırımoğlu stated, "Türkiye's support plays a critical role in the Crimean Tatars' struggle on the international stage."

He stressed the necessity of gaining international support for the future of the Crimean Tatars and Crimea at every platform, saying: "Our struggle loses meaning as long as we do not act together."

Erdoğan emphasizes Türkiye's commitment to the rights of the Crimean Tatars and recently reiterated its unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Erdoğan highlighted that the return of Crimea to Ukraine is a necessity under international law, stressing that this situation holds significant importance for ending the historical suffering in the region.

‘Matter of justice’

In his speeches on the international stage, Kırımoğlu often emphasized this spirit of resistance, expressing his belief in human rights and peaceful resistance at every opportunity.

"Our struggle is not only for our land but also for the universal human rights. If the world remains silent about what is happening in Crimea, it may legitimize similar occupations elsewhere," he warned.

Kırımoğlu, who has repeatedly advocated for the rights of the Crimean Tatars in the European Parliament, stresses that gaining the support of the international community is vital.

Now 80 years old, Kırımoğlu continues his struggle with the same determination despite all these challenges.

"What keeps me alive is my belief in the freedom of my people," he said. This belief has made him not only a leader of the people but also a universal human rights advocate.

"We are always in favor of peace, but this peace must be just. The freedom of Crimea is a matter of justice, not only for us but for the world."