Nariman Celal: Crimean issue should become a link between Ukraine and Turkey

Ukraine needs to "maximize" the use of the occupation of Crimea and the Crimean Tatars in particular in its diplomatic relations with Turkey.

This was stated by Nariman Dzhelal, a former political prisoner of the Kremlin and First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, in his first speech as Turkish ambassador .

The Crimean became a diplomat a year after his release from Russian detention. In September 2021, the Russian FSB arrested him on suspicion of committing sabotage and threatened him with 17 years in prison. Dzhelal was released at the end of 2024 along with 9 other civilians, in particular, thanks to the efforts of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Celal believes that the Crimean issue in diplomacy is a link between Ukraine and Turkey, and it needs to be discussed so that Crimea remains on the agenda and the focal issues are gradually resolved. The ambassador believes that the enemy's optics should take a back seat to the Ukrainian one, and that this requires telling and spreading the truth.

"This is something that we should use both ways: both to establish relations between our countries and to use Turkey's capabilities for the tasks that the president mentioned. That is, to keep Crimea on the agenda, to discuss the topic of Crimea in terms of restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, releasing political prisoners, prisoners of war, returning children and many other issues related to the occupation of Crimea," the ambassador said.

The European Parliament called for the recognition of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people and the de-occupation of the peninsula. During the Crimean Week, they spoke about repressions, disappearances and illegal detentions in the occupied Crimea. Currently, the de-occupation of the peninsula is the only way to a just peace and restoration of the rights of the residents, including the Crimean Tatars.

Катерина Глушко