Turkish President Erdogan advocates for the reclaiming of Crimea
Turkey generally gets along well with Russia, but Moscow often gets annoyed with Ankara's stance on Ukraine, particularly concerning the Crimea situation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has his personal motivations involved in this matter.
President Erdogan has publicly advocated for the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia, to be returned to Ukraine. He emphasized Turkey's unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence. According to him, the return of Crimea to Ukraine is in line with international law.
The Crimea Platform, launched by Kyiv in 2021, aims to garner global attention toward the conflict surrounding the annexed peninsula. It's not surprising that Erdogan would make such a statement, given Turkey's past condemnation of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its signing of a UN resolution opposing it. Ever since Russia's hostilities towards Ukraine started, Erdogan has repeatedly called for Ukraine's sovereignty to be respected.
Erdogan's call to action
Turkey has historically been regarded as the guardian of the Muslim Crimean Tatar minority, constituting around 10% of the peninsula's population. Erdogan insisted they deserve to live freely, securely, and in harmony in their own homeland. Due to the Russian annexation, many Crimean Tatars sought refuge in the Ukrainian mainland, where they gained Turkey's support.
At the Crimea Platform, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the plight of the Crimean Tatars, which he claimed suffered significant persecution at the hands of the Russian authorities. Zelensky appealed to Turkey and the neighboring Azerbaijan to exert pressure on Russia.
Turkey, being a NATO member, has provided weapons to Ukraine, and the two nations have forged a strategic partnership centered on defense cooperation since 2014. Turkey, however, maintains strong economic ties with Russia, including being one of its major energy providers. Turkey has abstained from joining western sanctions against Russia.
The European Union, being a strong supporter of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty, has consistently criticized Russia's annexation of Crimea, a stance that aligns with Turkey's position on the matter. In light of this, it's worth noting that Turkey, as a member of the G20 and the Council of Europe, has the potential to influence the stance of these organizations towards Russia's actions in Crimea.
