The chairman of the All-Tatar Public Center (TIU), Farit Zakiyev, has left Russia's Tatarstan region for Turkey over Moscow's unprovoked war against Ukraine.
Zakiyev told RFE/RL on April 5 that he left the country on March 19 and was currently in the southern Turkish city of Antalya.
"I left to protest this war. I reject this war because I belong to the generation that studied and worked with Ukrainians. The war against Ukrainians is absolutely unacceptable for me," he said.
"Also, in the current circumstances in Russia it is absolutely impossible to continue social and political activities, the activities of the All-Tatar Public Center," Zakiyev said, adding that he took part in several public actions in Turkey to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The TIU, which has been functioning since 1989, is known for activities promoting the Tatar culture, language, and traditions, as well as equal rights for ethnic Tatars.
In recent years, the organization has been under pressure from the authorities in the wake of an ongoing crackdown on nongovernmental organizations, independent media, and democratic institutions across Russia.
Many activists, journalists, and other people have left Russia for other countries since the attack on Ukraine on February 24.
