A partial list of notable

Crimean Tatars , flag = Flag of the Crimean Tatar people.svg , flag_caption = Flag of Crimean Tatars , image = Love, Peace, Traditions.jpg , caption = Crimean Tatars in traditional clothing in front of the Khan's Palace ...

, in alphabetical order:

Civil rights activists

* Reşat Amet – murdered activist *

Mustafa Dzhemilev Mustafa Abduldzhemil Jemilev ( crh, Mustafa Abdülcemil Cemilev, Мустафа Абдюльджемиль Джемилев, ), also known widely with his adopted descriptive surname Qırımoğlu "Son of Crimea" ( Crimean Tatar Cyrillic: , ; born ...

– leader of the Mejlis *

Emir-Usein Kuku Emir-Usein Kuku (, born 26 June 1976) is a Crimean Tatar human rights defender and member of the Crimean Human Rights Contact Group. In February 2016, he was arrested and charged by Russian authorities on the accusation that he was a member of t ...

– human rights defender * Musa Mamut – committed self-immolation in protest of being forced to leave Crimea *

Server Mustafayev Server Rustemovych Mustafayev (, born 5 May 1986 in Ziadin, Uzbekistan) is a Crimean Tatar human rights defender and coordinator of the civil rights organization ''Crimean Solidarity''. Life Mustafayev was born on May 5, 1986 in Ziadin. His ...

– human rights defender * Yuri Osmanov – one of the founders of the National Movement of Crimean Tatars; assassinated * Ayshe Seitmuratova – activist for right of return who were deported as young children * Ali Osman Becmambet- national hero of the Tatars in Dobrogea ( Romania )

Military personnel

Alime Abdenanova Alime Seitosmanovna Abdenanova ( crh, Alime Seitosman qızı Abdenanova; 4 January 1924 — 5 April 1944) — was a Crimean Tatar scout in the Red Army during World War II. After the German occupation of Crimea began in 1943 she led her reconnais ...

– Soviet spy during World War II * Teyfuq Abdul – battalion commander in the Red Army during World War II;

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

* Seitnebi Abduramanov – platoon commander in the Red Army during World War II * Uzeir Abduramanov – sapper in the Red Army during World War II; Hero of the Soviet Union * Fetislyam Abilov – regimental commander during World War II; belatedly declared Hero of the Soviet Union in 1990 * Umer Adamanov – partisan detachment leader who defended Polish villages from the SS * Ismail Bulatov – Major-general *

Emir Chalbash Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

– flying ace * Dzhevdet Dermendzhi – infantry officer, nominated for title Hero of the Soviet Union * Nuri Dzhelilov – tank officer, nominated for title Hero of the Soviet Union *

Amet-khan Sultan Amet-khan Sultan (Crimean Tatar language, Crimean Tatar: Amet-Han Sultan, Амет-Хан Султан, احمدخان سلطان; Russian language, Russian: Амет-Хан Султан; 20 October 1920 – 1 February 1971) was a highly decorated ...

–

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testing ...

, and double Hero of the Soviet Union * Kenan Kutub-zade – Red Army World War II cameraman who filmed scenes in Auschwitz used in the Nuremberg trials *

Refat Mustafaev Refat Mustafaev ( crh, Refat Şemsedin oğlu Mustafayev, russian: Рефат Шемсединович Мустафаев; 1911 1984) was a Crimean Tatar communist who served as a regional party secretary and battalion commissar in the Crimean re ...

– battalion commissar and partisan leader *

Mansur Mazinov Mansur Mustafaevich Mazinov (russian: Мансу́р Мустафа́евич Мазинов; 25 September 1906 11 March 1983) was a Soviet flight instructor, air force officer, World War II veteran, and the first Crimean Tatar pilot. Early life ...

– first Crimean Tatar pilot * Abdraim Reshidov – decorated Pe-2 pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union; told

KGB The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...

that he would commit

self-immolation The term self-immolation broadly refers to acts of altruistic suicide, otherwise the giving up of one's body in an act of sacrifice. However, it most often refers specifically to autocremation, the act of sacrificing oneself by setting oneself o ...

during a public holiday if he was forced to remain in exile. * Seytnafe Seytveliyev – sergeant in the Red Army; Hero of the Soviet Union * Dzhafer Osman Topchi – infantry officer, twice nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union *

Asan Khaliev Asan Salidzharovich Khaliev (; born 1915 – died no earlier than 1985) was a decorated Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar sniper in the Soviet marines with over 240 kills, making him the top sniper from Crimea. A participant in the battles for Sevasto ...

– Red Army sniper with over 240 kills

Politicians

Kázím Abdulakim Kázím Abdulakim (also transliterated in Romanian language, Romanian as: ''Kiazim Abdulachim'', ''Kiazim Abdulakim'' or ''Chiazim Abdulachim'') was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar hero of the Romanian Armed Forces, Romanian Army who lost his lif ...

– former Deputy Mayor of

Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...

and a Member of the Romanian Parliament * Ruslan Balbek – Member of the Russian Duma *

Noman Çelebicihan Noman Çelebicihan ( crh, نعمان چلبى جهان, ''Numan Çelebicihan''; 1885 – 23 February 1918) was a Crimean Tatar politician, lawyer, mufti of Crimean Muslims, and writer. He was the President of the short-lived independent Crimean ...

– first President of the

Crimean People's Republic The Crimean People's Republic ( crh, Qırım Halq Cumhuriyeti; uk, Кримська народна республіка, translit=Kryms'ka narodna respublika; russian: Крымская народная республика, translit=Krymskaya ...

* Refat Çubarov – Chairman of the Mejlis * Cemil Çiçek – Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey *

Dimitrie Cantemir Dimitrie or Demetrius Cantemir (, russian: Дмитрий Кантемир; 26 October 1673 – 21 August 1723), also known by other spellings, was a Romanian prince, statesman, and man of letters, regarded as one of the most significant e ...

, from

Cantemir dynasty Cantemir or Kantemir may refer to: People * Moldavia's Cantemirești dynasty: ** Antioh Cantemir (1670-1726), son of Constantin Cantemir, Voivode of Moldavia **Antiokh Dmitrievich Kantemir (1708-1744), son of Dimitrie Cantemir, man of letters a ...

–

voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

Fahrettin Kerim Gökay Fahrettin Kerim Gökay (January 9, 1900 Eskişehir – July 22, 1987 Istanbul) was a Turkish politician, civil servant, professor ordinarius and physician. He served as government minister, and is well known for his long-term position as governo ...

– governor of Istanbul * Ahmed İhsan Kırımlı – president of the Crimean Tatar Society of Turkey *

Vasily Kochubey Vasily Leontiyevich Kochubey (russian: Василий Леонтьевич Кочубей, uk, Василь Леонтiйович Кочубей) (c. 1640 – 15 July 1708) was a Cossack-born Russian state figure of Crimean Tatar descent. He was ...

– was a Russian Imperial state figure and member of

Kochubey family Kochubey was a Crimean Tatar family of the Cossack Hetmanate and later the Russian Empire. Over the years many representatives of the family held high government positions. Notable family members * Vasyl Kochubey (1640 - 1708), Chancellor of Za ...

* Adnan Menderes – first democratically elected Prime Minister of Turkey * Nazim Osmanov – leader of

Mubarek Muborak ( uz, Muborak/Муборак, russian: Мубарек, Mubarek) is a small city located in Qashqadaryo Region of Uzbekistan. The city is the administrative center of Muborak District. Its population is 30,100 (2016). Muborak originally aro ...

* Ahmet Tevfik Pasha – last Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire *

Hasan Polatkan Hasan Polatkan (1915 – 16 September 1961) was a Turkish politician and Minister of Labor and Finance, who was executed by hanging after the coup d'état in 1960 along with two other cabinet members. Early years He was born 1915 in Eski� ...

– Minister of Labor and Finance of Turkey *

Zeki Sezer Mehmet Zeki Sezer (born 12 April 1957) is a Turkish politician and former chairman of the Democratic Left Party (Demokratik Sol Parti, DSP), he was elected in the 6th ordinary party congress in 2004 after the resignation of Bülent Ecevit. Ea ...

– politician and former chairman of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) *

Sevil Shhaideh Sevil Shhaideh (; née Geambec ( crh, Cambek); born 4 December 1964) is a Romanian economist, civil servant and politician. On 21 December 2016, she was proposed by the Social Democrats to be Prime minister of Romania, but was rejected by the pre ...

– Deputy Prime Minister of Romania * Hafsa Sultan – first valide sultan of the Ottoman Empire as mother of Suleiman the Magnificent * Seit Tairov – secretary of the Jizzakh regional committee in the Uzbek SSR * Lilya Budzhurova - deputy of the

Verkhovna Rada of Crimea Verkhovna Rada of Crimea or the Supreme Council of Crimea, officially the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea ( uk, Верховна Рада Автономної Республіки Крим, Verkhovna Rada Avtonomnoï Respubl ...

Entrepreneurs

* Feyzi Akkaya – one of the founders of STFA Construction Group *

Yıldırım Demirören Yıldırım Demirören (born 6 October 1964) is a Turkish businessman, former chair of the Istanbul-based Turkish multisports club Beşiktaş, and former president of the Turkish Football Federation. He owns part of ''Demirören Şirketler Gr ...

– businessman, president of the Turkish Football Federation *

Sabri Ülker Sabri Ülker (1920 – 12 June 2012) was a Turkish industrialist and businessman, and the founder of Ülker. Early life Sabri Ülker was born in 1920 in Crimea.Pelin TurgutÜlker: Ambitious confectioner snaps up Belgium's Godiva ''Financial Times ...

- Turkish industrialist and businessman, and the founder of Ülker.

Athletes

Djamolidine Abdoujaparov Djamolidine Mirgarifanovich Abdoujaparov ( uz, Jamoliddin Mirgarifanovich Abdujaparov; born 28 February 1964) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Uzbekistan. Abdoujaparov was a sprinter, nicknamed "The Tashkent Terror" as he was s ...

– Cyclist, three-time winner of

Green Jersey In road bicycle racing (e.g. Grand Tour stage races) the green jersey is a distinctive racing jersey worn by the most consistent highest finisher in the competition. While the overall race leader in the Tour de France will wear the yellow j ...

in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

* Enver Ablaev – skier *

Denis Alibec Denis Alibec (born 5 January 1991) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga I club Farul Constanța and the Romania national team. Alibec began his senior career at Farul Constanța, and at age 18 was signed by It ...

– Romanian footballer *

Server Djeparov Server Reshatovich Djeparov ( Uzbek: ''Server Jeparov'', Uzbek Cyrillic: Сервер Жепаров, crh, Server Reşat oğlu Ceparov; born 3 October 1982), is an Uzbek former professional football playmaker who is the head coach of Uzbekist ...

– professional soccer player *

Ersan İlyasova Ersan İlyasova (born 15 May 1987) is a Turkish professional basketball player who last played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously played in Turkey, Spain and the NBA Development League. Professional ...

– professional basketball player *

İlhan Mansız İlhan Mansız (born 10 August 1975) is a German-born Turkish former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is also a competing figure skater. He is of Crimean Tatar descent. Playing career Club career Mansız gained internation ...

– former professional soccer player * Aihan Omer – former handball player and coach

Artists, musicians, and popular culture personalities

* Zarema - Singer, songwriter, actress. Signed and released an album with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

in 2007. Co-wrote the song "Night Of My Life" with legendary multi Grammy winning producer RedOne. Member of

SAG-AFTRA The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA, stylized as SAG·AFTRA ) is an American labor union representing approximately 160,000 film and television actors, journalists, radio personalities, record ...

. * Melek Amet – first Crimean Tatar fashion model in Romania *

Cüneyt Arkın Fahrettin Cüreklibatır (8 September 1937 – 28 June 2022), better known by his stage name Cüneyt Arkın, was a Turkish film actor, director, producer and martial artist. Having starred in somewhere around 300 movies and TV series, he is wi ...

– film actor, producer and director *

Gürer Aykal Gürer Aykal (born May 22, 1942) is a Turkish conductor and adjunct professor at Bilkent University. He has been the musical director and principal conductor of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra since 1999. Education Aykal was born in ...

– conductor and adjunct professor at Bilkent University; the musical director and principal conductor of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra *

Erol Büyükburç Erol Büyükburç (8 August 1936 – 12 March 2015) was a Turkish singer-songwriter, pop music composer, and actor. Early years and family life Büyükburç was born on 8 August 1936 in Adana. After primary school in his hometown and commerce-h ...

– singer-songwriter, pop music composer * Ayşe Dittanova – actress * Adaviye Efendieva – master weaver and embroiderer *

Esin Engin Esin Engin (May 17, 1945 – May 4, 1997) was a Turkish musician, composer, arranger and film actor. Biography He was born in Sivas, Turkey in 1945 to a family of Crimean Tatar origin. He graduated from North Collins High School in New York, U ...

musician, composer, arranger and film actor *

Erol Evgin Mehmet Erol Evgin (born 16 April 1947) is a Turkish singer, composer and film actor. Biography Erol Evgin was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1947. He finished his high school education in Istanbul High School in 1965. He then studied architecture ...

– pop singer and composer *

Enver İzmaylov Enver İzmaylov ( uk, Енвер Ізмайлов, russian: Энвер Измайлов) born (June 12, 1955) is a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar folk and jazz guitarist who uses a tapping style on electric guitar. Career Enver İzmaylov was born ...

– folk and jazz musician *

Jamala Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova, ; rus, Суса́на Али́мовна Джамалади́нова, Susána Alímovna Dzhamaladínova, sʊˈsanə ɐˈlʲiməvnə dʐəməlɐˈdʲinəvə, links=yes. (born 27 August 1983), known professionally ...

– winner of

2016 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song " Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organised by the European Broadcasting ...

representing Ukraine * Evelina Mambetova – international supermodel *

Aybüke Pusat Aybüke Pusat (born 25 February 1995) is a Turkish actress, ballet dancer, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Earth Turkey 2014 and was supposed to represent her country at the Miss Earth 2014 pageant. Her maternal fami ...

– actress and model *

Aydan Şener Memnune Aydan Şener (born 1 March 1963) is a Turkish actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Turkey 1981 and represented her country at Miss World 1981 but unplaced. She is of Tatar origin. Biography She was born in Kilis, ...

– 1981 Miss Turkey * Akhtem Seitablayev – director of the film ''

Haytarma Haytarma ( crh, Qaytarma — ''«return», «homecoming»'') is a 2013 Ukrainian period drama film. It portrays Crimean Tatar flying ace and Hero of the Soviet Union Amet-khan Sultan against the background of the 1944 deportation of the Crimean ...

'' *

Nilüfer Yumlu Nilüfer is the Turkish word for " water lily", from Persian ''nilufar'' (نیلوفر), which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word for the blue lotus, ''nīlotpala'' (नीलोत्पल). It is a popular feminine given name in Turk ...

– pop singer and Eurovision contestant *

Selda Bağcan Selda Bağcan (; born December 14, 1948) is a Turkish folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and music producer. Early life Selda Bağcan was born in 1948 in the western Turkish town of Muğla. Her father was a veterinarian medician of Macedonian ...

– musician *

Orhan Gencebay Orhan Gencebay (born Orhan Kencebay, 4 August 1944) is a Turkish musician, bağlama virtuoso, composer, singer, arranger, music producer, music director, and actor. Gencebay was born in the coastal town of Samsun on 4 August 1944. He is of Crim ...

– musician and actor

Scientists, Engineers, and Mathemeticians

* Ali Aliev – nanoscientist * Refat Appazov – OKB-1 engineer * Lenur Arifov – nuclear physicist * Asan Asan-Nuri – petroleum engineer * Girey Bairov – surgeon * Kerim Bekirbaev – aircraft designer * Midat Selimov – infectious disease specialist * Rollan Kadyev – physicist

Writers and intellectuals

* Ayshe Seitmuratova – dissident *

Ahatanhel Krymsky Ahatanhel Yukhymovych Krymsky ( uk, Агатангел Юхимович Кримський, russian: Агафангел Ефимович Крымский; – 25 January 1942) was a Ukrainian Orientalist, linguist, polyglot (knowing up to 35 lan ...

– scientist * Shamil Aladin – newspaper editor, poet, and novelist *

Şevqiy Bektöre Şevqiy Bektöre ( Crimean Tatar Cyrillic: Шевкъий Бектёре, tr, Şevki Bektöre, sometimes anglicized as Shewkiy Bektore or Shevki Bektore; 1888 – 1961) was a Dobrujan-born Crimean Tatar poet, publisher, educator, academic, and ac ...

– textbook writer, linguist, and

gulag The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...

detainee *

Usein Bodaninsky Üsein Abdurefi oğlu Bodaninskiy (russian: Усеи́н Абдрефи́евич Бодани́нский, translit=Usein Abdrefiyevich Bodaninsky; 1 December 1877 – 17 April 1938) was Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar historian, artist, art criti ...

– historian, museum director, and ethnographer *

Muazzez İlmiye Çığ Muazzez İlmiye Çığ (born 20 June 1914) is a Turkish archaeologist and Assyriologist who specializes in the study of Sumerian civilization. She stirred controversy in the Muslim world and received world-wide media coverage in 2006 with her a ...

– archaeologist, sumerologist, assyriologist, writer * Bekir Çoban-zade – poet and professor; victim of the Great Purge *

Cengiz Dağcı Cengiz Dağcı (9 March 1919 – 22 September 2011) was a Crimean Tatar novelist and poet. He wrote his works in Turkish, despite having never been in Turkey. He wrote about twenty novels about his life and his Motherland — Crimea. He was bo ...

– novelist and poet * Emel Emin – poet, translator, Turkologist, and educator * Seitumer Emin – writer and poet * Tahsin Gemil – historian *

Necip Hablemitoğlu Necip Hablemitoğlu (28 November 1954 – 18 December 2002) was a Turkish historian and intellectual. He was assassinated in front of his home in 2002. The perpetrators of this assassination have still not been found. In Ergenekon trial testimo ...

– writer and historian; assassinated *

Halil İnalcık Halil İnalcık (7 September 1916 – 25 July 2016) was a Turkish historian. His highly influential research centered on social and economic approaches to the Ottoman Empire. His academic career started at Ankara University, where he completed h ...

– historian *

Murat Bardakçı Murat Gökhan Bardakçı (born 25 December 1955) is a Turkish journalist working on Ottoman history and Turkish music history. He is also a columnist for '' Habertürk'' newspaper. Biography Bardakçı was born in 1955 in İstanbul. An econ ...

– journalist *

Ismail Gaspirali Ismail bey Gasprinsky (also written as Gaspirali and Gasprinski: crh, İsmail Gaspıralı, russian: Исмаи́л Гаспри́нский ''Ismail Gasprinskii''; – ) was a Crimean Tatar intellectual, educator, publisher and Pan-Turkist pol ...

– founder of the Jadid movement * Abdulla Latif-zade – literary critic, poet, and writer *

Aziz Nesin Aziz Nesin (; born Mehmet Nusret, 20 December 1915 – 6 July 1995) was a Turkish writer, humorist and the author of more than 100 books. Born in a time when Turks did not have official surnames, he had to adopt one after the Surname Law of ...

– humorist and writer of over 100 books *

Mehmet Niyazi Mehmet Niyazi Cemali ( crh, script=latn, Memet Niyaziy; January or February 1878 – November 20, 1931) was an Ottoman-born Romanian and Crimean Tatar poet, journalist, schoolteacher, academic, and activist for ethnic Tatar causes. Present fo ...

– poet, journalist, academic and activist *

İlber Ortaylı İlber Ortaylı (born 21 May 1947) is a Turkish historian and professor of history of Crimean Tatar origin at the MEF University, Galatasaray University in Istanbul and at Bilkent University in Ankara. In 2005, he was appointed as the director ...

– historian *

Septar Mehmet Yakub Septar Mehmet Yakub (known in Romanian as Septar Mehmet Iacub) (1904–1991) was a Crimean Tatar lawyer, thinker, spiritual leader of Tatars and Turks in Dobruja, Mufti of the Muslim community in Romania. He was a promoter of harmony and peace ...

– lawyer, thinker, Mufti of Romania *

Çetin Altan Çetin Altan (22 June 1927 – 22 October 2015) was a Turkish writer, journalist, and a member of parliament. He was considered one of the finest writers in the modern Turkish language of the late 20th century. Early years Çetin Altan was ...

– writer, politician * Ennan Alimov – writer, artist