The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 12th anniversary of the occupation of Crimea, emphasizing its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Turkish side highlighted that the situation on the peninsula is regarded as a violation of international law norms.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Turkey’s Position and Protection of Crimean Tatars
The Turkish foreign ministry assured that it will continue to closely monitor developments in Crimea, paying special attention to the rights and situation of the Crimean Tatars. This issue will remain one of the priorities on the official Ankara’s agenda.
“Turkey will continue to closely monitor the situation on the Crimean peninsula and keep it on the agenda, paying special attention to the situation of the Crimean Tatars.”
Currently, representatives of the Russian Federation have not commented on this statement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chronology of the Occupation of Crimea and Global Reaction
In February 2014, armed individuals without identifying insignia seized key facilities in Crimea, including the buildings of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Council of Ministers, Simferopol airport, the Kerch ferry crossing, and blocked the deployment of Ukrainian military forces. Initially, the Russian authorities denied the involvement of their military; however, later, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that these were Russian soldiers.
On March 16, 2014, a so-called “referendum” regarding the status of the peninsula took place in Crimea and Sevastopol, which was not recognized by the majority of countries worldwide. Based on its results, Russia declared the incorporation of Crimea into its territory. Ukraine, the European Union, and the United States did not recognize the legitimacy of this expression of will. Already on March 18, 2014, Putin announced the “annexation” of Crimea to the Russian Federation.
The international community condemned Russia’s actions: international organizations recognized the occupation and attempt to annex Crimea as illegal, and Western countries imposed economic sanctions. Russia, in turn, referred to these processes as the “restoration of historical justice.” The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially designated February 20, 2014, as the date marking the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia.
After the occupation, due to the discriminatory policies of the Kremlin, Crimean Tatars began to leave Crimea in large numbers. This process intensified particularly with the onset of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. According to the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev, over these years, approximately 50,000 Crimean Tatars have left Crimea, which constitutes about a quarter of the entire population that lived on the peninsula.