The Turkish factor in the Crimean Tatar ethnopolitical process

The paper considers the Turkish factor which affects the Crimean Tatar ethnopolitical process. The historical impact of Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) on the Crimean Peninsula is investigated. The study determines the mental attitude of Turkey towards the Crimean Tatar segment in Crimea. The research analyzes the diaspora prerequisites for the influence of the Turkish state on the ethnopolitical processes arising in Crimea. The author defines the ideological platform of pan-Turkism as an ideological and political justification for the Turkish presence in the political and economic processes of the Crimean Peninsula. The paper identifies the main agents and contractors of Turkish impact on the Crimean Tatar community. The processes of this influence on economy and culture are described. It was argued that the Crimean Tatar ethnic community was a link between the Turkish Republic and Ukraine until the latter had lost the effective control over the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The author substantiated that Turkey occupied the middle ground on the Crimean issue which arose in 2014.