All-Tatar Public Center
Encyclopedia
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: Bötentatar İctimağí Üzäge, BTİÜ; Cyrillic: Бөтентатар Иҗтимагый Үзәге, БТИҮ; Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
Всетата́рский Обще́ственный Центр, ВТОЦ) is a Tatar social organization with a nationalist agenda. The ATPC headquarters are in Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
.
The first congress (qorıltay) of Tatar nationalists was held in February, 1989. The newly formed organization was named the Tatar Public Center (Tatar İctimağí Üzäge). The charter and the program of the ATPC were adopted at the second congress (February, 1991). At this congress, the name of the organization was changed to the All-Union Tatar Public Center and the 35-member presidium was elected. Subsequently, after the fall of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the name was changed once again to what it is now (1992).
The ATPC was established by M. Mölekev (the first chairman), İ Ämixanov, Fäwziä Bäyrämeva, Z. Zäynulin, R. Safin, F. Safiullin and some others. Most of them were intellectuals from Kazan State University. The current chairman is Rafis Kashapov.
The main aims of the ATPC are: achieving independence for Tatarstan, establishing diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation as with foreign state, protection of the Tatar language
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
and culture
Culture of Tatarstan
Culture of Tatarstan is molded from the culture of Volga Tatar people, Russian and European culture.- Education :The education system in Tatarstan is secular. The literacy rate for the total population is about 100%. Elementary and secondary education is compulsory...
, making Tatar an only official language of Tatarstan or an official language in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
alongside with Russian. The ATPC is also striving to revive Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in Tatarstan, to support Tatar diasporas and to protect the rights of ethnic Tatars all over the world.
The main publications of the ATPC are: Taşqın (Stream), Millät (Nation) and Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
Izvestiya TOTs ( - Proceedings of ATPC). The governing bodies of the organization are Qorıltay (Congress), Ğäli Mäcles (Plenum), Presidium (works permanently) and the chairman.
Congresses: 1st - 1989, 2nd - 1991, 3rd and 4th 1993, 5th - 1996, 6th 1999, 7th -2002.
In late 1980s- early 1990s the ATPC organized many demonstrations and public meetings demanding that the government of Tatarstan proclaims the republic independent of Russia. The only time when these manifestations resulted in clashes and street fighting was on October 15, 1991 when Russian nationalists arranged a counter-demonstration which provoked a violent confrontation.
In the following years, Tatarstan's government led by Mintimer Shaymiev has assumed a more adversarial position towards Moscow, which significantly weakened the ATPC's unique role as the defender of ethnic Tatars. As a result, the ATPC's popularity went down among the majority of the population while the popularity of president Shaymiev grew. Tatarstan's special status within the Russian Federation and economic consessions from Moscow achieved by Shaymiev made many demands of Tatar nationalists superfluous.
In the last few years the ATPC has not been as active as in the past. The majority of the participants in its most recent demonstrations are pensioners. The only exception is the Memorial Day (Xäter Köne) held in October of each year to commemorate the fall of Kazan. This event attracts many participants, both young and old, from all parts of Idel-Ural
Idel-Ural
Idel-Ural is a historical region in Eastern Europe, in what is today Russia. The name literally means Volga-Urals in the Tatar language. The frequently used Russian variant is Volgo-Uralye...
and is accompanied by a funeral march and Tatar rock
Tatar rock
Some of the earliest Tatar rock bands were Soviet bands Saq-Soq and Bolgar, as well as Başqarma from Finland, bands active in the late 1980s. Today the most popular Tatar rock bands are Alqanat from Aqtanış and Xat from Sarman...
music concerts.
In some regions of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
local chapters of the Tatar Public Center collaborate with local officials and concentrate mostly on cultural activities within local Tatar diasporas. However, in Bashkortostan
Bashkortostan
The Republic of Bashkortostan , also known as Bashkiria is a federal subject of Russia . It is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Its capital is the city of Ufa...
the ATPC is playing an important political role as an opposition force against the regime of president Murtaza Rakhimov
Murtaza Rakhimov
Murtaza Gubaydullovich Rakhimov is a Russian politician of Bashkir ethnicity, who served as the first President of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.- Biography :...
.
According to the ATPC charter the organization pursues its goals in an exclusively democratic way. However, some sources state that in the 1990s some ATPC leaders had contacts with the Wahhabis in Ichkeria
Ichkeria
Ichkeria can refer to:* Ichkeria , the historical Turkic name for a region more or less coinciding with the Republic of Chechnya* Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the secessionist government of Chechnya...
and with the Taliban in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. There are rumors and unsubstantiated reports about some ATPC volunteers joining the ranks of the militants in the Caucasus and Central Asia. These allegations, however, have not yet been proven. The same sources also state that the ATPC includes militarized wings İdel and Altınzan.
In recent years the Tatar nationalist movement is starting to attract more and more people of younger generation, presumably as a reaction to Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
's policy of political repression and government centralization.