Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his firm support for Ukraine, calling for the return of Crimea to Ukrainian control during a video address to the Fourth Crimea Platform Summit held in Kyiv on Wednesday, September 11.
“Our support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence is unwavering. The return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law,” Erdogan stated.
In his video address, Erdogan emphasized Türkiye’s consistent stance on Crimea, underscoring that its return is essential to uphold international legal standards. He also expressed optimism for the continued support of the Crimean Tatar Turks: “I believe that additional steps will continue to be taken to strengthen the rights of the Crimean Tatar Turks in the upcoming period.”
Concluding his address, Erdogan underscored Türkiye’s broader aspirations for the war’s resolution: “Our sincere wish is for the war to end with a fair and lasting peace based on Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence.”
Russian forces seized the Crimean Peninsula in February 2014, and by the following month, Vladimir Putin had formally annexed it. Since 2014, Crimea’s ethnic Tatars have faced ongoing persecution.
Türkiye, the United States, and the United Nations General Assembly regard Russia’s annexation of Crimea as illegal, maintaining their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the face of Russian occupation.
Earlier, on September 11, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside First Lady Olena Zelenska, inaugurated a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Crimean Tatar genocide in Kyiv. The event was also attended by the Prime Ministers of Croatia and Latvia, as well as the President of Lithuania during the Crimean Platform Summit.
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