International Committee for Crimea
A Timeline, 1997-2019

International Committee for Crimea (ICC) started as an Internet group in 1997 and continued as an unincorporated association through 2011. It was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in April 2012 in Washington, DC. Later the IRS granted the ICC tax exempt status and classified it as a public charity. The ICC’s current Web site (www.iccrimea.org) dates from the year 2000 and today it is a major online source on Crimean Tatars in the English language. With some exceptions, the various additions to the Web site are not reflected in the Timeline. However, an attempt has been made to link the Timeline to relevant pages or sections on ICC’s Web site in an effort to enhance its usefulness. The Timeline includes significant dates in its organizational history and major activities as a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC.

Remembering the Crimean Tatars

1997

August 1997. The idea of forming an Internet group evolves from conversations on Turkistan-L, a discussion list administered by SOTA, an organization based in The Netherlands (Turkistan.org). With Idil Izmirli as the coordinator, the project is set up as an initiative of SOTA. The group’s original name is International Committee for C.R.I.M.E.A (Crimean-Tatar Repatriation Initiative & Movement for Equality Alliance). About this time, the ICC sends out its first appeal, Crimean Tatars have the right to return to their ancestral homeland Crimea. This is oldest document at the current ICC Web site.

1998

September and October 1998. Inci Bowman sends e-mail to Mubeyyin Altan, Co-Chair of the ICC, A Proposal that begins with “S.O.S! Sink or Swim!” She suggests that they form a task force, charged with the responsibility of drafting a mission statement and guidelines for the ICC. This is the beginning of discussions on whether the ICC should become an organization with a formal structure. By October 1998, the ICC membership list includes 24 individuals from 7 countries and one organizational member. The group is using a closed discussion list (ic-crimea@egroups.com ) to communicate with members.

24 November 1998. Crimea-L: A Discussion List on Crimea and Crimean Tatars is established by the ICC. The original address is Crimea-L@teklan.com.tr and the group later moves to Yahoo.com. Crimea-L provides a platform for discussing issues relating to Crimean Tatars: politics, history and culture, social life and religion, human rights and promotion of democracy in Crimea. Crimea-L has a standard Guidelines for an Internet discussion group.

1999

17 January 1999. ICC issues a statement, Tense Situation in Crimea, Ukraine, signed by Mubeyyin Altan, Inci Bowman and Mehmet Tutuncu, to protest the bombing of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis on January 15.

4 February 1999. The first set of Bylaws of the International Committee for Crimea is adopted. Charter Members approve the proposed Bylaws and elect its officers: Mubeyyin Altan (President), Ayder Seitosman (Vice-President), Inci Bowman (Executive Secretary), Idil Noyan-Izmirli (Director for Research), and Yanki Pursun (Director for Membership and Outreach). The remaining Charter Members: Necip Hablemitoglu, Lutfi Osman, Sezai Ozcelik and Mehmet Tutuncu.

15 February 1999. Inci Bowman drafts the description and mission statement of the organization. Revised several times, What is the ICC? is the last version. About this time, the ICC establishes a Web site at Xoom.com. (http://members.xoom.com/iccrimea/)

11 March 1999. Ayder Seitosman presents a paper, History and Culture of Crimean Tatars on the Internet, in Washington, DC. The conference is organized by the Moscow office of the International Library Information and Analytical Center (ILIAC).

April 1999. Mubeyyin Altan authorizes Inci Bowman to obtain a P.O. Box in Washington, DC. The virtual group ICC is now “grounded” in the US.

18 May 1999. ICC President Mubeyyin Altan issues a statement, On the 55th anniversary of the Deportation of Crimean Tatars.

1 September 1999. According to the first ICC semi-annual report, the ICC has 12 individual members, two affiliate members (associations) and is governed by a board of six. It sponsors Crimea-L (with 178 members from 22 countries), a Web site and a discussion list (ic-crimea@egroups.com) for the use of its members.

2000

20 January 2000. Inci Bowman sends a letter to the Council of Europe, supporting Lord Ponsonby’s report and protesting the actions of the armed militia that vandalized the building of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis on 11 January.

Rally in Simferopol on the anniversary of Deportation

18 May 2000. ICC President Mubeyyin Altan issues a statement, Crimean Tatars’ Ongoing Tragedy, on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the SURGUN (Deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944).

September 2000. According to an ICC report, ICC members Kemal Seitveliev and Alim Memetov are administering a Web site for the Crimean Tatar journal Gunsel; and Mansur Alyadinov manages a news site. ICC’s Web site (xoom.com) is expanding, with the addition of scholarly articles, book reviews, bibliography, and translations of poems by literary figures. The Domain Name iccrimea.org is purchased on September 5 and it becomes the permanent URL for the ICC Web site.

2001

1 January 2001. The new address for ICC’s distribution list is Crimea-L@yahoogroups.com and moderation is introduced by the administrators. The Crimea-L includes 335 names from 23 countries. (The membership would increase by 60% during 2001.)

March 2001. On the occasion of Ismail Bey Gaspirali’s 150th anniversary of his birth, ICC launches a special Web project, Celebrating the Life of Ismail Bey Gaspirali (1851-1914). It is the result of a collaborative work with ICC members in Turkey. Another Web site, sponsored by the Emel Foundation in Istanbul, includes articles and related information in Turkish.

31 Mart 2001. ICC Member Kursat Cagiltay makes a presentation, “Uniting Online: Crimean Tatar Diaspora on the Internet,” during a conference at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. The presentation is based on a paper jointly written by 5 ICC members and this paper is later titled "e-Tatars." See below, 9 June 2001.

18 May 2001. ICC President Mubeyyin Altan issues a statement, When will this ever end? on the 57th anniversary of the SURGUN.

9 June 2001. The paper written by 5 ICC members, e-Tatars: Virtual Community of Crimean Tatar Diaspora, is presented at the Internet Global Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, by Kemal Altintas.

24 August 2001. On the 10th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, ICC President Mubeyyin Altan issues a statement, listing a set of demands on behalf the the Crimean Tatar people.

2002

12 April 2002. ICC member Filiz Tutku Aydin, a graduate student at the University of Toronto, presents a paper, “A Case of Diaspora Nationalism: Crimean Tatars in Turkey,” at the Association for the Study of Nationalities in New York.

Rally at Lenin Square, Simferopol, May 2002

18 May 2002. ICC Director for Research Idil Izmirli sends a report from Simferopol relating to the 58th anniversary of the SURGUN: Crimean Tatar Memorial Day of Deportation.

23 November 2002. Idil Izmirli organizes a Roundtable session, “Capturing the Complexity of the Crimean Tatar Nation” at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies, Pittsburgh, PA. She and Mubeyyin Altan deliver papers at the meeting.

December 2002.The ICC Web site continues to grow throughout the year, with the addition of reports and 10 scholarly articles. Crimea-L has 630 members, showing an increase of over 20% during the year.

2003

23 February 2003. On the anniversary of the Numan Celebicihan’s tragic death, Mubeyyin Altan contributes commemorative pieces and translates additional poems of Celebicihan.

1 March 2003. Inci Bowman becomes ICC President. Executive Committee consists of the following individuals: Inci Bowman (President), Mubeyyin Altan (Ex-President), Kemal Seitveliev (Vice-President), Idil Izmirli (Director for Programs), Ozgur Karahan (Co-Director for Electronic Communications) and Kursat Cagiltay (Co-Director for Electronic Communications).

5 April 2003. Idil Izmirli organizes a Panel, “National Identity and Ethnic Relations in Crimea” at the 8th annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Nationalities at Columbia University, New York. She and Kemal Seitveliev present papers: “Impact of Repatriation on Ethnic Identities in Deeply Divided Societies: The Case Study of Crimean Tatars” and “New Dynamics in the Crimean Tatar Political Movement,” respectively. The panel discussion is chaired by Inci Bowman.

August 2003. Inci Bowman is interviewed by Gulnara Bekirova of the Moscow group of Crimean Tatars: Views from the Crimean Tatar Diaspora. The interview is also published in Russian at the Moscow group's Web site (http://www.kirimtatar.com).

24 November 2003. On the 5th anniversary of Crimea-L, a sister discussion list KIRIM Haber in Turkish/Tatar is created, with Ozgur Karahan as the Moderator. On this date, Crimea-L has 685 names on the distribution list and 5,200 message have been distributed since its establishment in 1998.

2004

23 March 2004. Otto Pohl gives a paper, “Stalin’s Exile of Crimean Tatars” at the Library of Congress. The event is organized by the African and Middle Eastern Division, with the assistance of Inci Bowman.

14 April 2004. Inci Bowman is invited to make a presentation, “Anavatan KIRIM,” to a Turkish language class at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.

Braian Williams, Idil Izmirli and Otto Pohl ASN Conference in New York, 2004

17 April 2004. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the SURGUN, a panel discussion is arranged at the Association for the Study of Nationalities at Columbia University, New York. The session, titled “Ethnic Issues, Minority Relations and Politics in Crimea,” is chaired by Inci Bowman. Otto Pohl presents “And this Must be Remembered! Stalin’s Ethnic Cleansing of the Crimean Tatars and their Struggle for Rehabilitation, 1944-1985” and Idil Izmirli presents “Surviving the Surgun: Consequences of the Exile and Return of the Crimean Tatars.”

May 2004. Mubeyyin Altan issues a statement on behalf of the ICC: On the 60th Anniversary of the SURGUN. A new section relating to Deportation of Crimean Tatars is added to the ICC Web site. It would expand in subsequent years.

In 2004, Inci Bowman establishes contacts with Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, US-Ukraine Foundation and Central Asia and Caucasus Institute in Washington, DC.

2005

March 2005. Six years after ICC becomes an unincorporated organization, it has 16 members from 7 countries (US, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey). Executive Committee consists of the following individuals: Inci Bowman (President), Mubeyyin Altan (Ex-President), Kemal Seitveliev (Vice-President), Idil Izmirli (Director for Programs), Ozgur Karahan (Co-Director for Electronic Communications) and Kursat Cagiltay (Co-Director for Electronic Communications).

May 2005. ICC members begin monitoring the news about Crimean Tatars. The News Digest series continues through 2006, followed by Selected News Coverage. The ICC members think that what is being published in regular media does not sufficiently reflect what is happening in Crimea. The following individuals are involved in this experimental project: Kemal Seitveiliev and Alim Memetov (Bakhchisaray, Crimea), Kaan Ozturk (Istanbul), Idil Izmirli (Springfield, VA), Mubeyyin Altan (New York), and Inci Bowman (Washington, DC).

2006

18 May 2006. Idil Izmirli attends the rally in Simferopol, Crimea, organized to commemorate the anniversary of the Deportation of Crimean Tatars and sends a report, The 62nd Anniversary of the Day of Mourning in Crimea.

August 2006. Laryssa Chomiak and Waleed Ziad interview Mustafa Jemilev in Simferopol. The interview is arranged by the ICC. They also interview Alexander Bogomolov in Kyiv, Ukraine. This interview about Islamic organizations in Crimea is also arranged by the ICC.

18 November 2006. ICC members attend the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies in Washington, DC. They present papers at a session devoted to Crimean Tatars: “Imagining ′Homeland′ over Time and Space from the Soviet Period to the Post-Soviet Setting: The Case of Crimean Tatar Diaspora and Repatriation, 1930-2006,” chaired by Kelly Ann O’Neill. ICC members present papers: Mubeyyin Altan, “Crimean Tatar Emigrations from Crimea to Turkey in the 1930s and 1940s;” Idil P. Izmirli, “Is Orange Turning Blue? Socio-Political Dynamics of Crimean Tatars in the Yushchenko Era;” and Filiz Tutku Aydin, “The role of Diaspora in the Construction of Crimean Tatar Identity in the 1990s.”

24 November 2006. Crimea-L has been in service for 8 years. The Moderators report that there are 990 names on the membership list and to date Crimea-L has distributed 5,080 messages. On the same date, Crimea-L’s sister list KIRIM Haber observes its 3rd anniversary, with 3,275 messages and 750 members.

2007

Mart 2007. Idil Izmirli becomes President of the ICC. In addition to Idil, the Executive Committee includes: Mubeyyin Altan (Ex-President), Inci Bowman (Ex-President and Web Master), Ozgur Karahan (Co-Director for Electronic Communications) and Kursat Cagiltay (Co-Director for Electronic Communications).

18 May 2007. ICC President Idil Izmirli issues a statement on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Crimean Tatar Deportation: May 18, 1944-May 18, 2007.

12 June 2007. Inci Bowman, Ayla Bakkalli and Mubeyyin Altan attend the dedication of the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, DC. Ms. Bakkalli, who represents the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, speaks briefly at a later session connected with the event. See the report: Victims of Communism Memorial and Crimean Tatars.

2008

12 June 2008. The ICC participates in the ceremony marking the first anniversary of the Victims of Communism Memorial. A wreath honoring the Crimean Tatar victims is presented. See: the report.

23 November 2008. Idil Izmirli arranges a panel discussion, “Islam, Christianity and Judaism in Crimea in the Nineteenth Century and Today” at the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies in Philadelphia, PA. Chaired by Inci Bowman, the Panel includes: Idil P. Izmirli (George Mason University), Mara Kozelsky (University of South Alabama), and Alexander Murinson (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

2009

January 2009. The ICC announces that Ayla Bakkalli has accepted to be the new Moderator of Crimea-L. She will be responsible for the day-to day management of a discussion list with over 900 members and over 5,500 messages in its archives. See: the announcement.

February 2009. The ICC Web site is redesigned and a new feature, Galleries, added. Daniel Marquez is engaged for the revision of the site.

Ceremony at Victims of Communism Memorial 18 May 2009

18 May 2009. To observe the 65th Anniversary of the Crimean Tatar Deportation, a ceremony is organized at the Victims of Communism Memorial, Washington, DC. Representatives from the Embassy of Ukraine, Dr. Lee Edwards of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Inci Bowman and Greta Uehling speak at the event. See: 65th Anniversary of the Deportations from Crimea. ICC President Idil Izmirli sends a report on the 18 May commemorative events in Simferopol: Day of Trauma, Day of Mourning, Day of Rememberance.

On the anniversary of the Deportation, the ICC also publishes Surgun Stories Series or Eye-witness Accounts on its Web site.

2010

10 February 2010. Inci Bowman uploads an online presentation, A Study in Crimean Tatar Embroidery. The study details the embroidery motifs on scarves, pouches, sashes and decorated towels from the early part of the 20th century.

17 March 2010. Inci Bowman and Ayla Bakkalli attend the Nowruz Commission’s event to observe the Nevruz (the traditional spring festival) at the Library of Congress. They are the guests of the Embassy of Ukraine. See: Nowruz, a Turkic Holiday, and Crimean Tatars.

18 May 2010. The 66th anniversary of the Deportation of Crimean Tatars is observed in Crimea as well as in Crimean Tatar communities worldwide. ICC President Idil Izmirli issues a statement to mark the occasion. May 18, 2010.

10 June 2010. The ICC is one of the 18 organizations and 14 Embassies participating in the third annual ceremony at the Victims of Communism Memorial, Washington, DC. A wreath is presented in honor of the Crimean Tatar victims.

October 2010. Aishe Yunusova, a reporter from Avdet newspaper is in Washington, DC as a participant in the ’Free Media’ program sponsored by the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. She interviews Inci Bowman about the ICC and her connection to Crimean Tatars.

Idil Izmirli, Ayla Bakkalli and Mustafa Jemilev Victims of Communism Memorial, 2010

13 December 2010. Mustafa Jemilev visits Washington, DC and meets with officials in DC as well as Dr. Lee Edwards, Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Accompanying him are Inci Bowman, Ayla Bakkalli and Idil Izmirli. The group then visits the Victims of Communism Memorial to lay flowers in memory of Crimean Tatar victims.

2011

January 2011. Mustafa Jemilev is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, following an initiative of the World Congress of the Crimean Tatars in 2009. Inci Bowman is asked to submit a letter on Jemilev’s behalf and she also solicits additional letters from Washington, DC.

26 June 2011. An interview with Mubeyyin Altan, First President of the ICC and well-known Crimean Tatar activist, is uploaded: Making of a Crimean Tatar Human Rights Advocate.

14 October 2011. Inci Bowman visits the Gasprinsky Library in Simferopol, Crimea. She is there to attend an international conference on the history of women in Crimea, dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of Ismail Bey Gasprinsky’s daughter, Sefika.

December 2011. Ayla Bakkalli, who has been the Moderator of Crimea-L since January 1, 2009, resigns, effective 1 December. Inci Bowman and Idil Izmirli meet at a suburban Virginia cafe to discuss ICC’s future. They decide to go ahead with the incorporation of the ICC in the District of Columbia.

2012

10 April 2012. International Committee for Crimea (ICC) is incorporated in Washington, DC. The first Board of Directors consists of 3 individuals, Inci Bowman, Idil Izmirli and Nurten Ural (initial directors or incorporators).

June 2012. Inci Bowman obtains ICC’s Employee Identification Number from the IRS and opens a checking account at the Capitol Hill Branch of Citibank.

June 30, 2012. Inci Bowman informs the members of the unincorporated ICC that the discussion list ic-crimea@yahoogroups.com is no longer used. The ICC is now registered as an NGO in Washington, DC, and the new Bylaws do not have a provision for membership.

21 August 2012. At the first meeting of the ICC, the initial directors approve the Bylaws and elect the Officers and Directors of organization. Inci Bowman (President), Nurten Ural (Treasurer), David G. Smith (Secretary), Idil Izmirli (Director for Research and Development), Greta Uehling (Director for Academic Affairs), and Barbara Wieser (Director and Coordinator for Crimea).

3 December 2012. The first annual meeting of the ICC is held by conference call.

22 December 2012. Inci Bowman mails ICC’s application for non-profit status to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

26 December 2012. A major section, Arabat Tragedy Series by Mubeyyin Altan, is uploaded to the ICC Web site.

December 2012. Moderators of Crimea-L decide to stop distributing messages but to maintain the archives. The final message is sent out: "Crimea-L is not an active list and no longer serves as a tool of communication among members. However, Crimea-L archives, with over 6,400 messages (2000-2012), will remain open as an invaluable resource relating to Crimea and Crimean Tatar diaspora."

2013

23 March 2013. Barbara Wieser establishes an account with Facebook for the ICC.

17 May 2013. ICC Director Greta Uehling attends the premier screening of the Crimean Tatar film Haytarma in Simferopol and sends a report:The Release of Haytarma and its Aftermath.

23 July 2013. ICC’s Cultural Tour of Crimea, organized by Nurten Ural and scheduled for September 22-28, is postponed in view of the criticisms by ICC Board Members Idil Izmirli and Greta Uehling, and lack of enough participants.

29 August 2013. Idil Izmirli, who is spending the summer in Crimea, resigns from the ICC Board of Directors, stating that she is overcommitted.

20 November 2013. The IRS grants ICC tax exempt status under section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code and classifies it as a public charity, effective 10 April 2012.

2014

Mustafa Jemilev's statement on Russian occupation of Crimea, 2014

6 January 2014. The 2013 Annual Meeting of the ICC is held by conference call. Two new Directors are elected: Zafer Karatay and Mubeyyin Altan, who begin their term on 6 January 2014. Nurten Ural states her intention to resign as Treasurer of the ICC.

5 February 2014. Mesude Cingilli, who works for the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, MN, is appointed Treasurer of the ICC.

23 February 2014. The “Fallen Heroes” vigil is organized by Ukrainian Americans in front of the White House. Inci Bowman, one of the speakers at the event, focuses on the Crimean Tatar support for Maidan demonstrations. See: Remarks made at Fallen Heroes Vigil.

6 March 2014. Ukrainian Congress of America organizes a rally in front of the White House to protest the Russian occupation of Crimea late in February. Mubeyyin Altan speaks on behalf of Crimean Tatars. In the next 4-5 months, Mubeyyin, Inci Bowman and Barbara Wieser speak to different media representatives about Crimean Tatars, interviews prompted by the occupation of Crimea.

7 March 2014. U.S. Department of State posts Travel Warning for Ukraine, followed by evacuation of Peace Corps volunteers and families of U.S. personnel. The ICC’s planned Cultural Tour of Crimea is cancelled.

18 May 2014. On the 70th anniversary of the SURGUN, the documentary, “Kırımoglu: Son of Crimea” is screened at the George Mason University, Arlington, VA. The Ukrainian Ambassador Olexandr Motsyk attends the event and speaks in support of Crimean Tatars. The documentary is produced by Zafer Karatay and Nese S. Karatay of Turkish Radio and Television (TRT).

22 May 2014. The documentary “Son of Crimea” is screened at the headquarters of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations in Washington, DC, and Inci Bowman introduces the film and answers questions.

11 June 2014. Mustafa Jemilev is awarded the Truman-Regan Medal of Freedom by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, but he sends his secretary Lilia Muslimova to accept the award. The Foundation decides to present the award to him personally. At the annual wreath-laying ceremony, Inci Bowman presents a basket of flowers in memory of Crimean Tatars victimized by the Soviet government.

2015

10 January 2015. A major paper by ICC Director Greta Uehling is uploaded: The Crimean Tatars as Victims of Communism.

15 January 2015. The 2014 Annual Meeting of the ICC is held by conference call.

12 February 2015. Barbara Wieser becomes the new ICC Treasurer. She will manage the new Wells Fargo account at the Capitol Hill branch. Two Wells Fargo bankers, one in Washington, DC, and one Minneapolis, MN, working simultaneously sign Barbara Wieser on to the ICC account.

Exhibit of Crimean Tatar artifacts Nowruz Commission’s Gala, 2015

14 March 2015. Inci Bowman attends the Nowruz Commission’s Gala at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC, as an invited guest of the Embassy of Ukraine. She helps the Embassy prepare a cultural display on Crimean Tatars, shown at the event site.

28 March 2015. Under the title, “Maidan, Petro Grigorenko and Crimean Tatar Dissidents,” Parts 4 and 5 of the documentary “Son of Crimea” and excerpts from “Women of Maidan” by Olha Onyshko are shown at the George Mason University, Arlington, VA. Commentaries are given by Andrew Grigorenko, Paul Goble and Inci Bowman.

21 April 2015. Barbara Wieser helps organize a program, titled “The Struggle of the Crimean Tatar People under Russian Occupation,” at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, with Lillia Muslimova and J. Brian Atwood, a university professor, and Barbara Wieser are speakers at the event. Parts of “Son of Crimea” are shown. In addition, a 4-minute slide program, created by Barbara, is shown in the background before the program begins.

2 May 2015. ICC loans Crimean Tatar artifacts for an exhibit at the Embassy of Ukraine on the occasion of the city-wide Around the World Embassy Tour.

17 May 2015. Brian Woods arranges a screening of “Son of Crimea,” Parts 1 and 2, at the Burlington Public Library, Burlington, VT.

12 June 2015. ICC participates in the 8th annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, DC.

1 July 2015. Brian Woods is appointed to the ICC Board of Directors.

August 1-2, 2015. ICC participates in the World Congress of Crimean Tatars held in Ankara, Turkey, by sending 2 delegates, Ozgur Karahan and Kursat Cagiltay (former members of the unincorporated ICC).

10 December 2015. The 2015 Annual Meeting of the ICC is held by conference call.

2016

10 March 2016. “A Struggle for Home: The Crimean Tatars” by Christina Paschyn is shown at the DC Independent Festival. Inci Bowman participates as a speaker in the panel discussion following the screening. The film wins the Best International Film award at the Festival.

20 May 2016. Barbara Wieser arranges for a screening of “A Struggle for Home” in Minneapolis, sponsored by Maidan Minnesota and the Ukrainian Center. Christina Paschyn and Barbara speak at the event.

26 May 2016. “A Struggle for Home” is screened at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. Christina Paschyn and Inci Bowman are part of the panel commenting on the documentary, with Dr. Matthew Rojansky, Director of the Kennan Institute as moderator. Later that afternoon, “A Struggle for Home” is screened at the US-Ukraine Foundation headquarters.

30 June 2016. Barbara Wieser organizes another screening of “A Struggle for Home” at the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, CA.

16 September 2016. Inci Bowman engages Johnson Law Group, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC, to obtain a Business License for the ICC from the DC government. Later, our lawyer Bradford P. Johnson, Esq. becomes the Registered Agent of the ICC. The law firm allows us to use their portal for filing our important documents free of charge.

Inci Bowman and Mubeyyin Altan at the Turkish Festival, 2016

25 September 2016. The ICC participates in the annual Turkish Festival along with another nonprofit organization, United Help Ukraine, in Washington, DC. We distribute promotional materials and sell books, Jamala’s audio CD “1944” and cultural artifacts. Inci Bowman also arranges for the Crimean Tatar folk dancers from New York to perform on the Festival stage.

5 December 2016. The 2016 Annual Meeting of the ICC is held by conference call.

14 December 2016. District of Columbia’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs issues the ICC a Basic Business License, valid from December 1, 2016 to November 30, 2018.

2017

21 April 2017. The documentary “A Struggle for Home” is shown at the Michigan State University by Professor Timur Kocaoglu. Nurten Ural attends the screening.

9 June 2017. The ICC is one of the 30 organizations and 20 embassies participating in the 10th annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, DC. Crimean Tatars have been represented every year since the dedication of the Memorial in 2007.

26 June 2017. The Crimean Tatar Flag Day is observed in select cities, including Washington, DC. Inci Bowman is invited to the ceremony at the Embassy of Ukraine and the blue flag flies along with the Ukrainian flag at the Embassy’s roof.

24 September 2017. The ICC participates in the Turkish Festival, featuring books, handouts and cultural artifacts relating to Crimean Tatars.

17 October 2017. A conference on Crimean Tatar women and heroines (Ey Güzel Kirim: Kirim Kadinlari ve Kahramanlari) is held at the University of Istanbul, sponsored by the Turkic World Research Foundation and with input from Inci Bowman. Speakers are Zera Bekirova, Editor of Yani Dunya newspaper in Crimea; and Zafer Karatay, President of Emel Foundation in Istanbul and ICC Board Member.

23 November 2017. The death of 82-year old Vedzhie Kashka following a raid in occupied Crimea perhaps makes more impression on individuals and human rights organizations than most other events in Crimea. Inci Bowman is interviewed for an article published by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

2018

11 January 2018. Mubeyyin Altan arranges for a screening of “A Struggle for Home” at the Coco Beach Public Library in Florida and serves as commentator.

23 January 2018. The 2017 Annual Meeting of the ICC is held by conference call.

24 February 2018. Brian Woods assumes responsibility for ICC’s Facebook page, occasionally assisted by Inci Bowman.

8 June 2018. ICC is represented at the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, DC.

Inci Bowman signs the Giant Flag, 9 December 2018

July 18-20. Inci Bowman participates in the 3rd annual Seminar for Middle and High School Educators, sponsored by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and later designs a lesson plan for high school students. See: Exiled People: The Case of Crimean Tatars.

9 December 2018. A giant Crimean Tatar Flag is going around the world, as part of LIBERATE CRIMEA project of the Crimean Tatar Resouce Center in Kyiv, Ukraine. The Flag is in Washington, DC. On behalf of the ICC, Inci Bowman signs the flag before the ceremony at the Holodomor Memorial.

2019

27 April 2019. In honor of the 75th anniversary of the SURGUN, a vigil for the victims of the deportation is offered at the Mosque of the Diyanet Center of America in Lanham, MD, followed by a light meal. The program is organized with the assistance of the ICC and attended by about 50 members of the Crimean Tatar community who drove down from New York.

18 May 2019. Crimean Tatars and their friends gather at the Victims of Communism Memorial to honor the victims of the SURGUN and share their family’s experiences of the deportation and exile from homeland Crimea. Representatives from the Embassy of Ukraine as well as the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation also attend the event. The program is organized by the ICC.

Victims of Communism Memorial, 18 May 2019

14 June 2019. The Crimean Tatars are represented at the annual ceremony held at the Victims of Communism Memorial and a wreath is presented in honor of the victims.

24 October 2019. The Kennan Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars presents a program, “75th Anniversary of the Deportation of Crimean Tatars,” co-sponsored by the ICC. Invited speakers are Gulnara Bekirova, Historian and Editor, ATR, Kyiv, Ukraine; and Brian Williams, Professor of Islamic History, University of Massachusetts-Darmouth. Inci Bowman arranges Gulnara Bekirova’s trip to Washington, DC and then to New York.

Compiled by Inci Bowman

Posted: 25 September 2020
Updated: 28 September 2020