The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Saturday the status quo in the Crimean peninsula “constitutes a violation of international law,” on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the “illegitimate” referendum on the status of Crimea, state broadcaster TRT reported.
Ankara will continue to monitor developments in the region “closely,” especially the situation of Crimean Tatars, the foreign ministry said.
Regarding the Tenth Anniversary of the Illegal Annexation of Crimea https://t.co/CyX98aw2nq pic.twitter.com/zm6lOzpwqs
— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) March 16, 2024
Turkey has reiterated that it does not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.
The ministry emphasized the country’s support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
“It has been a decade since the Russian Federation annexed the Autonomous Republic of Crimea of Ukraine through an illegitimate referendum held on 16 March 2014,” the ministry said in a statement.
February 2024 marks two years since Russia launched its war against Ukraine and 10 years since it illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.