Turkish President Erdogan Says Crimea Must Return to Ukraine under International Law

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Crimea should return to Ukraine in accordance with international law. 

He said this in a video address to the participants of the Crimean Platform in Ukraine, the Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.

Erdogan noted that the annexation of Crimea, which Turkey has opposed from day one, has further deepened the suffering of Crimean Tatars who were deported 80 years ago. 

‘Our support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine remains unwavering. The return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law,’ the Turkish president said. 

He stressed that ensuring the security and well-being of Crimean Tatars is one of the priorities of Turkey's foreign policy. 

Erdogan also stressed that Crimean Tatars have the right to live a free, secure and peaceful life in their homeland.

‘It is gratifying that in June, after almost three years of captivity, the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Crimean Tatars Nariman Dzhelal was released. We hope for the speedy release of all Crimean Tatars, including brothers Asan and Aziz Akhtemov,’ Erdogan said. 

He expressed hope that the war in Ukraine would end in a just and lasting peace based on Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

As The Gaze previously reported, the Crimean Platform summit was held in Kyiv on 11 September. Among others, the Prime Minister of Latvia and the President of Lithuania, the Prime Minister of Croatia and the Speaker of the Czech Senate, the US Secretary of State and the British Foreign Secretary, as well as the Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova have arrived.