Erdoğan renews call for fair, lasting peace in Russia-Ukraine war

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has renewed his call for a fair and lasting peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing war, reaffirming Türkiye’s strong support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Erdoğan sent a video message to the 4th Crimean Platform Summit, which was launched on Sept. 11 in Kiev with the participation of Ukrainian leaders, international participants and the representatives of the Crimean Tatars.

“It is our sincere wish that the war will end with a just and lasting peace based on the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” Erdoğan said.

Türkiye has long been advocating a peace agreement through negotiations between the two countries and offering its mediation to this end. The two sides’ foreign ministers came together only for one time in Antalya right after the Russian invasion of Ukraine had started in 2022.

Ankara is accusing some prominent Western countries of not encouraging Ukraine to sit around the same table with Russia for an agreement.

Thanking Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leader of the Crimean Tatar Turks, Mustafa Kırımoğlu, for organizing the fourth summit on Crimea, Erdoğan recalled that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the exile of Crimean Tatars.

The pain of the Crimean Tatars due to this tragedy has not ended in the past 80 years, the president said, adding that the annexation of Crimea by Russia has further deepened the tragedy.

“Our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence is permanent. The return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law,” he said. Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 and annexed the peninsula.

Erdoğan reiterated that the protection of Crimean Tatars’ security and comfort has always been among the priorities of Turkish foreign policy and expressed Ankara’s satisfaction with the legal steps taken by Ukraine to strengthen the rights of the Crimean Tatars.

“I believe further steps will be taken in the coming period for empowerment of the rights of Crimean Tatars,” he added.

Erdoğan also expressed that he welcomed the release of Neriman Celal, deputy parliament speaker of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly, after three years of imprisonment, adding all other jailed Crimean Tatars should be freed.