Journal of Management and Information Science Corresponding Author. H.Murat Sonmez,Vol.5, No. 1 Journal of Management and Information Science Comprehensive Overview of the Crimea Problem in the Second Anniversary of the Annexation of “Green Island” Report H.Murat Sonmez* *Ph.D., Turkish War Colleges Command, Yenilevent-34330, İstanbul, Turkey. Tel: +90 212 398-0100, e-mail:[email protected]. Abstract- Crimea hosted princes and trained sultans for the rulers within the historical process and Crimea is an island which experienced wars of power and exiles. After the XVIIIth century, especially after the World War II, Demographic structure of the Crimea has been changed with exiles; mostly Russians and Ukrainians filled the places which were vacated by the Crimean Tatars. Peninsula which was presented to the Ukraine by the Khrushchev, sixty years ago without asking to the Crimea, “genetically modified” Crimea was recaptured by Putin with the so-called referendum. Within the process which led to the “Crimea Referendum” that is questioned in terms of legitimacy pursuant to national and international laws, Russia used “Green Men” to invade the Crimea which was formerly named as “Green Island”. Russia realized the enlargement of its soils for the first time after the Cold War with the hybrid warfare instead of conventional warfare. Russia made quite big acquisition with the outcome it achieved from the hybrid warfare which was conducted in a cost-effective manner and with less casualties, which cannot be compared with the conventional warfare. This article which examines the struggle of Crimean Tatars and reaction of West against this process and Russia, also events of Crimea at the second anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, constitutes a significance especially in terms of how the political outcomes of the hybrid warfare are effective especially on Crimea. Keywords- Crimea, Crimean Tatars, Russia, Ukraine, Green Island, Annexation. 1. Introduction Island” by the Crimean Tatars and it means “My Peak (Qırım)” (Bala, 1955, p.741) in Tatars language Ukraine was one of the independently emerged states and She got the 'autonomous republic' status along which possesses the Crimea peninsula along with the with the referendum, made in 1999 after the collapse collapse of Soviet Union. From this date, Ukraine of Soviet Union. Crimea sustained its existence as an had to rearrange its relations both with the other autonomous structure linked to the Ukraine until the actors of international system and states separated referendum on March 16,2014, which was made from the former Soviet geography and restructured its approximately two weeks after the Russian invasion foreign policy simultaneously. Ukraine, which was in which is on debate in terms of legitimacy. Russia the process of restructuring its foreign policy, was signed and declared a treaty which showed that trying to solve internal problems, likewise the other Crimea and Sevastopol were linked to the Russia states which separated from the Soviet Union, on the after the referendum (Sputnik, 2014). Russia other hand, Ukraine was trying to sustain its former completed the official procedures of the binding economic, political and cultural ties with Russia and process of Crimea and this binding process was not She also tried to develop its relations with the other accepted primarily by Crimean Tatars, Ukraine, Western Countries (Hatipoğlu, 2004). Turkey, USA and European states and many Ukraine was trying to shuttle back and forth between countries have not recognized this process the West and East and She to determine its foreign annexation, therefore it has been waiting as an open- policy by doing so. Crimea Autonomous Republic ended problem which is required to be solved. was one of the most affected actors from the policies Crimea issue is not just a frozen, passive crisis. It is of the Ukraine. Crimea is named as the “Green on the negotiation table as an active problem which is 1 Sonmez,H.M., (2017). Comprehensive Overview of the Crimea Problem in the Second Anniversary of the Annexation of “Green Island”, Journal of Management and Information Science, Vol5(1),1-12. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Non-Commercial International License. Please visit for this license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Journal of Management and Information Science Corresponding Author. H.Murat Sonmez,Vol.5, No. 1 difficult to solve in the near future and currently, it is Current political, sociological and demographic a problem which is on debate by the parties and states structure of Crimea is not meeting the correct data of the world to solve the problem. which are necessary to overcome and solve the crises experienced in the Peninsula. To understand the What are the reasons that led to the invasion and struggle of past and today in Crimea and to annexation of Crimea by the Russia? Did Russia understand the role of Crimean Tatars within this really intervene to Crimea to protect the Russian struggle, historical process of the Crimea should be population against the racist attacks which was mentioned briefly. alleged by Russia? Will racist attacks against the Russia population which constitutes %58 of Crimea 2. Demography and History of Crimea population be carried out by the Crimean Tatars 2.1. Demographic Structure of Crimea which is the %12 of population or attacks will be carried out by Ukraine which is the %24 of On April 1, 2014, population of the Crimea in the population which is mostly known close to the official web-site of Ukraine is given as 1.968.550 Russia? Answers of these questions are hidden within (State Statistics Service of Ukraine, 2015). Majority the question of this justification and as a result Russia of the country's population is consisted of Russia and intervened to Crimea with similar reasons. Russia people of Ukraine and Crimean Tatars are the second claimed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine is and third in terms of magnitude. Population is insufficient, in terms of suppression of a possible consisted of; 58,32%, Russia, 24,32% Ukraine, racist attack and Russia preferred hybrid warfare 12,1% CT, %1,44 White Russians, 0,54% other instead of conventional warfare in this mission. Tatars, 0,43% Armenians and 0,22% Jews. Other Russia actualized the annexation of Crimea with a minority groups are consisted of Poles, Moldavians, special task unit which was consisted of 120 Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, Koreans, Greeks and Blacksea individuals (Şamilkızı, 2014). Protection of strategic Germans, Chuvashes, Romans, Bulgarians and elements such as military bases and navy fleet of Georgians. Russia which are located in the region were shown as Summarizing the Crimea problem will ensure the a reason for the intervention in addition to the discussion and examination of Crimea problem on a security of the Russia citizens. One of the invisible correct basis. Vladimir Putin has admitted for the first reasons was primarily relation of Ukraine with the time that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered “western-centric” organizations such as EU and weeks before the referendum on self-determination. NATO which is hidden under the visible aforesaid Putin revealed secrets of Russia's Crimea takeover reasons that were explained by Russia for the Crimea plot. (BBC, 2015). “The Way Home” is a Russian intervention. Development of this relation showed documentary television film which premiered both on itself sometimes as “Orange Revolution” or “Gas Russian channel Rossiya 1 and on YouTube on Interruption” and sometimes as “change of power” in March 15, 2015 about the annexation of Crimea by Ukraine. Was Crimea used by Russia as a trump card the Russian Federation in 2014. The film features an for its struggle against “West”? Geo-strategic interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin location of Crimea in the north of the Black sea, is disclosing various aspects of Crimean crisis. Putin, in the gateway to Russia to reach the warm seas, there is particular, revealed that he had taken personal charge a claim that Crimea has virgin energy resources, of Crimean annexation and that in case of declarations of Putin which claim that Crimea should "unfavorable scenario on the peninsula" Russia could belong to Russia historically, are those included in have placed its nuclear weapons on combat readiness. the reasons of intervention? Russia struggles to According to Rossiya 1documentary, Putin said a protect its reputation both in close periphery and meeting with officials had been held on 22-23 Middle East, “Fire” which may possibly occur in February to plan the rescue of Ukraine's deposed Ukraine might spread to the other regions, president. "I invited the leaders of our special developing relations of Crimean Tatars with the services and the ministry of defense to the Kremlin West, increase of Crimean Tatars population in and set them the task of saving the life of the Crimea more than the other ethnic groups and other president of Ukraine, who could simply have covered facts can be counted among the reasons of liquidated," he said. "We finished about seven in the the intervention. morning. When we were parting, I told all my 2 Sonmez,H.M., (2017). Comprehensive Overview of the Crimea Problem in the Second Anniversary of the Annexation of “Green Island”, Journal of Management and Information Science, Vol5(1),1-12. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Non-Commercial International License. Please visit for this license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Journal of Management and Information Science Corresponding Author. H.Murat Sonmez,Vol.5, No. 1 colleagues, 'We are forced to begin the work to bring security of Black Sea until the end of XVIIIth Crimea back into Russia'." (BBC, 2015).