Idil P. Izmirli
Dr. Idil P. Izmirli is currently a Visiting Scholar and a Part-Time Faculty at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. In 2012, she was hired as an expert by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) to assess the needs and to prepare a report on the Integration of Formerly Deported People in Crimea, Ukraine, which was published on August 16, 2013. Dr. Izmirli’s research has been funded by various Title VIII research grants including the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Kennan Institute, IREX (IREX-IARO and two consecutive IREX STGs), Fulbright, and the Regional Policy Symposium on Regional Security in Eastern Europe and Eurasia Junior Scholarship, as well as two consecutive fellowships from George Mason University’s “Partnership for Conflict Resolution Development in Ukraine” program, supported by the US Department of State, through which she took part in launching the Crimean Institute of Peace as well as a student-run university mediation and dispute resolution center. In 2013, for the third time in a row, she was awarded an IREX STG (Title VIII grant) for her continuing research in Crimea.
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Articles by Idil P. Izmirli
Turkish President Erdoğan Brokers Deal With Putin to Release Two Crimean Tatar Political Prisoners
September and October saw a fresh wave of house searches, arrests and increasing oppression of regime critics on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. But last week (October 25), two Crimean Tatar
Moscow Plays Divide-and-Conquer Strategy Against Crimean Tatars
According to Refat Chubarov, the president of the Crimean Tatar World Congress and the elected chairperson of the Mejlis (the quasi-governing assembly of the Crimean Tatars), the Russian Federation is
Crimea’s Supreme Court Bans Crimean Tatar Mejlis Based on Fictitious Claims
On April 26, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea officially banned the Mejlis, the quasi-governing assembly of the of the Crimean Tatar people (Qha.com.ua, April 26). After this
Mustafa Cemilev Denies Russian Allegations of Crimean Tatars Recruiting Fighters for the Islamic State
In recent months, a debate arose about the formation of a Muslim Battalion in Ukraine (see EDM, September 5). This was soon followed, in the Russian media, by rumors about
Blockade of Crimea Is Continuing Peacefully
On September 20, Crimean Tatars launched a nonviolent protest action that they have named the “Citizens’ Blockade of Crimea” to suspend the transfer of goods from mainland Ukraine to the
A Theme Exaggerated: The Muslim Battalion in Ukraine
The Second World Congress of Crimean Tatars (Butun Dunya Qirim Kongresi—BDQK) took place in Ankara, Turkey, from July 31 to August 2. Among the 600 participants, 410 were registered delegates
The Tale of the First Local Elections in Occupied Crimea and the End of the Mejlis Era
On September 14, 2014, Crimea held its first post-annexation local elections. Since after the takeover, all the political posts of the Crimean parliament were filled with self-appointed actors. For pro-Russia
Mustafa Cemilev’s Personality Inspires Crimean Tatars to Resist Harassment From Russian Authorities
On May 6, Poland awarded its first “Solidarity Prize” to Mustafa Cemilev for his ongoing contributions to peace, democracy and human rights. According to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Crimean and Russian Authorities Ban Leader of Crimean Tatars From His Homeland
On April 19, the leader of the Crimean Tatar movement, Mustafa Cemilev, returned home to his native Crimea, following his month-and-a-half-long trip abroad. During his trip, he had met with
Crimean Tatars Fear for Their Safety After Crimea’s Annexation to Russia
On March 21, 2014, three days after he signed the treaty that “legalized” the annexation of Crimea as a new subject of the Russian Federation, President Vladimir Putin officially annexed
Jamestown Analyst Idil P. Izmirli Interviewed by Al Jazeera
On March 7, Jamestown analyst Idil P. Izmirli was interviewed by Al Jazeera about the situation of the Crimean Tatars amidst the Russian incursion into the peninsula.
Crimean Crisis Escalates Further
On March 6, the Crimean parliament voted in favor of unification with Russia, and declared that a referendum on this decision will be held either on March 15 or March
Jamestown Analyst Idil P. Izmirli Interviewed by Anadolu Agency
On March 3, Anadolu Agency interviewed Jamestown Foundation analyst Idil P. Izmirli about the situation of the Crimean Tatars.
Overnight Crimean Crisis Hits Stalemate
As of at least Friday, February 28, unmarked Russian tanks are reportedly moving through the streets of Simferopol, the administrative capital of Crimea (https://guzei.com/online_tv/watch.php?online_tv_id=4919). The crisis situation on this Ukrainian
Sale of Crimean Land by Yanukovych: ‘Made in/for China’
While most of the worldwide media outlets focused on Euromaidan protests in Kyiv since Ukraine’s withdrawal from signing the Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013, the signing
The Tale of Two Cities: Kyiv and Simferopol
Since November 21, the mass protests in Ukraine’s capital organized by opposition parties and citizens supportive of the European Union have been continuing, with the number of protesters increasing each
Crimean Tatars Support EuroMaidan Protests in Kyiv
On November 21, a week before the planned signing of the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union at the Eastern partnership Summit in Vilnius, the Ukrainian Parliament (Verhovna Rada)
Crimean Tatar Mejlis Elects New Chairperson as Mustafa Cemilev Steps Down
On October 26–27, the sixth convocation of the Crimean Tatar Qurultay (Crimean Tatar National Congress) took place in Simferopol, Crimea, and elected a new chairperson for the Crimean Tatar Mejlis
New Crimean Tatar History Book Comes Under Attack from Russian Nationalist Groups
On October 25, members of the Congress of Russian Communities and the Union of the Orthodox Citizens of Crimea picketed in front of the Russian Consulate in Simferopol, the regional
Two Crimean Tatar Mosques Torched in Crimea on the Eve of Major Muslim Holiday
On the eve of the major Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), two mosques were set on fire in different areas of Ukraine’s autonomous region of Crimea. On
Human Rights of Crimean Tatars Discussed in European Parliament
On September 26, the European Parliament’s (EP) Subcommittee on Human Rights held an urgent parliamentary hearing in Brussels and discussed the report titled, “The Pressing Situation in Regards to Human
Ukrainian and Crimean Authorities Snub OSCE over Minority Rights
On September 19, a roundtable on inter-ethnic relations took place in Simferopol, Crimea. At this gathering, the European Union’s Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule met with
Portrait of Stalin Sparks Brawl at WWII Ceremony in Crimea
In Ukraine, June 22 marks a day of mourning dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic War (Second World War). On this day, Ukrainian war veterans,
Russian Consul General to Crimea Resigns Following Offensive Comments About Crimean Tatar Deportation
Following a week of protests over his offensive and defamatory statements about the May 18, 1944 deportation of Crimean Tatars, Vladimir Andreev, the Russian consul general in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine,
Growing Sense of Polarization and Escalating Tensions in Crimea Ahead of 69th Anniversary of Crimean Tatar Deportation
Each year on May 18, around 25,000–30,000 Crimean Tatars gather in Crimea’s capital Simferopol to commemorate the 1944 deportation of their parents and grandparents from their historical homeland. They come