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Türkiye Marks Anniversary of Crimea Annexation by Reaffirming Support for Ukraine
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Türkiye does not recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and will continue to monitor the situation of the Crimean Tatars on the peninsula.
The announcement was made by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 16.
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“On the twelfth anniversary of the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea of Ukraine by the Russian Federation following an illegal referendum, we once again reaffirm that we do not recognize this de facto situation, which is contrary to international law,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry also emphasized that Ankara will continue to back Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
“Our country, which firmly supports the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, will continue to closely follow developments on the peninsula, particularly the situation of the Crimean Tatar Turks, and will keep this issue on the agenda,” the statement said.
Russian authorities have not yet commented on the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement on the non-recognition of Crimea’s annexation.
Concerns over the treatment of Crimean Tatars continue to grow, with Ukraine recently condemning a new wave of detentions on the occupied peninsula. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the detention of Crimean Tatar women, saying the arrests are part of Russia’s continued campaign against their cultural, spiritual, and national rights.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns another wave of repressions by Russian occupation authorities against the Crimean Tatar people. These actions are part of a systematic assault by Moscow on the Crimean Tatar people, aimed at destroying their national identity, spirituality, and rights to their land,” the ministry said in a statement.
On the morning of October 15, Russian occupation forces conducted coordinated searches in several districts of Crimea. Those detained included Esma Nimetullayeva, the wife of political prisoner Remzi Nimetullayev and mother of five, Nasiba Saidova, a student at a pedagogical college who also works as a kindergarten teacher, as well as Elvira Aliyeva and Fevziye Osmanova.
Russian state media later circulated claims that the women were part of a “female cell promoting the ideas of a global caliphate,” alleging links to Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic organization banned in Russia. The reports portrayed the detainees, who include mothers, teachers, and students, as “terrorists,” a characterization widely rejected by Ukrainian officials and human rights groups.
Alongside diplomatic pressure over repression in Crimea, Ukraine is working on new legal mechanisms that would allow individuals to obtain the status of a foreign Ukrainian, with particular focus on Crimean Tatars living in Türkiye.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Nariman Dzhelyal said the work is already in progress, although the process involves a number of legal and technical complications. Dzhelyal noted that special attention is being given to Crimean Tatars who are citizens of Türkiye and, following the adoption of Ukraine’s law on multiple citizenship, have expressed interest in receiving Ukrainian passports.
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