Crimea's nationalist ex-president returns from Moscow

Yury Meshkov, the pro-Russia former president of the short-lived Republic of Crimea, returned to the region from exile in Moscow late Wednesday afternoon.

"I am asking (Crimea's) supreme council to allow me to participate in the upcoming referendum. I am the president and citizen of the Republic of Crimea," he said at a press conference held at Simferopol airport. 

Crimea's pro-Russian separatism traces its origins to the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1992, the region's parliament adopted a constitution declaring Crimea a sovereign state. 

Meshkov was elected president of the Republic of Crimea in February 1994.  An outspoken Russian nationalist, his government received significant financial and political backing from Moscow's powerful former mayor, Yury Luzhkov. However, Meshkov's erratic behavior, allegations of widespread corruption and controversial moves towards reuniting Crimea with Russia led to his forced removal by Kiev in March 1995. 

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada (parliament) later annulled Crimea's constitution and abolished the presidency. Meshkov fled to Moscow and served as a lecturer at Moscow State University before briefly returning to the region in 2011.

During the visit, Meshkov called for a referendum on the restoration of Crimea's 1992 constitution and a possible reunification with Russia. 

The Ukrainian government responded by having Meshkov deported and barred him from entering the country for five years.

englishnews@aa.com.tr