Erdogan reaffirms support for Kyiv, calls for Crimea's return to Ukraine

'Return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law,' says Recep Tayyip Erdogan in video message

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered Wednesday a message to the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit, emphasizing Türkiye’s commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. "Our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence is unwavering. The return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law," Erdogan declared in a video message. He highlighted Türkiye’s stance on Crimea, stressing that its return to Ukraine aligns with international legal standards. Erdogan also expressed confidence in further actions to support the Crimean Tatar Turks, saying: "I believe that additional steps will continue to be taken to strengthen the rights of the Crimean Tatar Turks in the upcoming period." Concluding his address, Erdogan conveyed Ankara's broader aspirations for the resolution of the conflict, noting: "Our sincere wish is for the war to end with a fair and lasting peace based on Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence." Russian forces entered the Crimean Peninsula in February 2014, with Russian President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month. Since then, Crimean Tatars have continued their struggle for Ukraine's territorial integrity against Russian occupation. Crimea's ethnic Tatars have faced persecution since Russia's 2014 takeover of the peninsula, a situation Türkiye has decried. Türkiye and the US, as well as the UN General Assembly, view the annexation as illegal.