Turkey says Russian recognition of breakaway regions in Ukraine ‘unacceptable’

ANKARA

Turkey has slammed the Russian recognition of two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine as “unacceptable,” announcing that it is taking its own measures as a Black Sea country.

“We consider the decision unacceptable. We invite the parties concerned to act with common sense and comply with the international law,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said to journalists traveling with him on his Africa tour on Feb. 22.

Erdoğan’s statement followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s signing a decree for the recognition of Donets and Luhansk self-proclaimed republics in the eastern Ukraine on late February 21, in a move to further escalate the tension in the region.

Erdoğan recalled that the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the Russian move which stressed that recognizing these regions were in violation of the Minsk Agreement and blatant breach of Ukraine’s political unity and territorial integrity.

“The Russian Federation’s decision is unacceptable, and we reject it,” read the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry after Putin’s decision. The statement also reiterated Ankara’s “commitment to the preservation of Ukraine’s political unity and territorial integrity and invite all concerned parties to act with common sense and to abide by international law.”

Erdoğan recalled that Turkey had exerted sincere efforts for the de-escalation since the very beginning of the crisis, referring to his earlier proposal to garner Russian and Ukrainian leaders at a summit in Turkey.

On a question about a potential U.N. Security Council meeting with the participation of Germany and Turkey voiced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Erdoğan said Turkey would surely join the summit. “I have already expressed my intention. That’s how it should be. Mr. Zelenskyy’s proposal is a positive one,” Erdoğan said.

Turkey taking its own measures

When recalled that Turkey is a littoral country in the Black Sea, Erdoğan stressed that this pledges a special responsibility to Turkey. “We are at the same time a Black Sea country. Since we are a Black Sea country, many precautionary packages have to be created. We have already taken these measures and will continue to do so,” he said.

“We cannot leave aside the responsibilities of being a Black Sea country. With this understanding, we will continue on our way,” he added.

Turkey has control of the Turkish straits in line with the 1936-dated Montreux Convention that restricts the non-littoral countries’ armed forces stay in the Black Sea.

Turkey attaches importance to Herzog’s visit

On a question about Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s scheduled visit to Turkey on March 9 and 10, Erdoğan said Turkey attaches great importance to it.

“I hope the step taken in Turkey-Israel relations with this visit can be seen in other dimensions afterward,” he said, citing the Palestinian issue among these dimensions. Another important matter is the Turkish-Israeli cooperation in the field of energy, Erdoğan said, recalling that it had come to the bilateral agenda in the past but without any result.

“But this time, there can be different developments. We hope that we can strengthen our relationship by taking steps between Turkey and Israel and therefore can turn the region into a basin of peace in the future,” he said.

Turkey wants to improve ties with Saudi Arabia

On a question about Turkey’s efforts to normalize ties with the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Erdoğan said that improving ties with Saudi Arabia was among Turkey’s objectives.

“We wish to continue our positive dialogue and to advance our relations with concrete steps in the coming period,” he said, recalling his and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s contacts with Saudi authorities recently.

On another question, Erdoğan informed that the PKK terrorists have been actively using the Lavrion refugee camp in Greece for recruiting and training new terrorists before deploying them to northern Iraq.

“There was no such thing seven or eight months ago. We have spotted the names and informed Greece through our Foreign Ministry,” he said.