Kadyrov: opening of Dudayev park in Turkey threatens relations between Moscow and Ankara
Ramzan Kadyrov. Photo: Press service of the Chechen administration / RIA Novosti
The actions of the Turkish authorities to perpetuate the names of terrorists who committed crimes in Russia could negatively affect relations between Moscow and Ankara, which have been developing for many years. This was stated by the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov in his Telegram channel on Tuesday, December 21.
Thus, he reacted to reports that a park named after the first president of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (CRI) Dzhokhar Dudayev was opened in the Turkish city of Kerfez in the north-west of the country, and a monument to him was erected. According to Kadyrov, such actions look extremely cynical and do not correspond to the image of Turkey as a friendly state towards Russia.
The head of Chechnya also threatened to respond to the Turkish authorities in a similar way. “For example, in this case, it is quite logical and politically” mirror “from our side to perpetuate in Grozny the name of the founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence in one of the Turkish prisons,” he said.
In addition, Kadyrov called on the Russian Foreign Ministry to pay special attention to the current situation and to take preemptive diplomatic measures “against such manifestations.”
The opening of a park in honor of Dudaev in Turkey became known earlier in December. At the same time, during the opening ceremony, representatives of the city authorities called the separatist a symbol of the struggle for freedom. The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the actions of the Turkish side, recalling that Moscow's position regarding the installation of monuments to terrorists remains unchanged and principled, RIA Novosti reported.
Dzhokhar Dudaev was elected president of Checheno-Ingushetia in 1991. With his first decree, he proclaimed the independence of the self-proclaimed CRI. Russian special services organized several attempts on his life, another operation in 1996 was successful – the first president of the CRI was killed in a missile strike near Grozny.
