On the anniversary of the occupation of Crimea, Turkey …

Turkey will continue to monitor the situation in Crimea and the situation of Crimean Tatars.

This is stated in the statement of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the anniversary of the illegal referendum on the annexation of the peninsula by Russia.

"On the anniversary of the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by the Russian Federation eleven years ago (March 16) through an illegal referendum, we reiterate that we do not recognize the actual situation in Crimea, which is a violation of international law, and support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," the statement reads.

On March 16, 2014, a "referendum" on the status of the peninsula, unrecognized by most countries, was held in Crimea and Sevastopol, and Russia incorporated Crimea into its territory. Neither Ukraine, nor the European Union, nor the United States recognized the results of the pseudo-referendum. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on March 18, 2014, that Crimea had joined Russia.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry added that it will continue to closely monitor developments in Crimea, especially the situation of Crimean Tatars, and keep the issue on the agenda of the international community.

In the early 90s, Ukraine risked not only its fleet in Crimea, but also military units in Odesa and the region: they were actively encroached upon by the Russian military command.

At that time, the Ukrainian military had to literally win back our bases: sometimes through diplomacy, sometimes through ingenuity, and sometimes through silent force. Fortunately, it did not come to an active armed confrontation, although such attempts by the Russians were repeatedly made. Details of how this happened were described by Intent in the article "Unknown History: How the Ukrainian Military Fought for the Navy 30 Years Ago".

Олеся Ланцман

Turkey Reiterates Support for Ukraine on Crimea Annexation Anniversary

You may also like: