Hope for Peace Died with Maskhadov

The Chairman of the Mothers Of Russian Soldiers Community, Valentina Melnikova met with Ahmet Zakayev, Maskhadov’s representative to Europe recently and said: "I think, from now on, that no one will want to talk about peace. I find the likelihood of new terrorism activities to be very high. Now, everybody’s hands are bound. Meanwhile, Ankara has said that Maskhadov’s assassination should lead both sides to re-consider a peaceful solution. The European Union Council, meanwhile, has preferred to avoid making any comment until it has a full account of the incident.

The Pro-Russian Chechen Administration has declared that Maskhadov’s body will be released to his relatives. The incident has dominated much of the Russian Media. In Turkey, Maskhadov’s murder was the subject of various demonstrations. Members of the United Caucasus Foundations and the Caucasus Forum left a black wreath in front of the Russian Federation’s Istanbul Embassy in protest of the assassination. Members of the Forum gathered in front of the embassy and declared their severe criticism of the Russian Federation and its President, Vladimir Putin. The Forum noted that Maskhdov’s murder has extinguished the hope for peace. And in the common declaration of the foundations, the real reason for Mashadov’s assassination is said to be Putin’s idea of "Big Russia" and "illegitimate practices." They vowed that the Chechen Fight for Independence did not end with the deaths of Dudayev and Yandarbiyev and will not end with Maskhadov’s death either. One member of the Caucasus Foundation, Mehdi Cetinbas, predicted that "activities and conspiracies will increase in the region." Maskhadov was described as a martyr and the region’s "only hope for peace" by the demonstrators.