09 July 2025

Nariman Dzhelyal Officially Assumes Duties as Ukraine’s Ambassador to Türkiye on July 8

On 8 July, Nariman Dzhelyal officially commenced his mission as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Türkiye and presented his credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.

Since 2013, Nariman Dzhelyal has served as the First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People. He was detained by Russian security forces on 4 September 2021 and sentenced to 17 years in prison on fabricated charges. On 28 June 2024, he was returned to Ukraine-controlled territory as part of a prisoner exchange, where he reunited with his family for the first time in three years. Since then, Dzhelyal has actively advocated for political prisoners at both national and international levels, and has participated in public and political events dedicated to defending the rights of the Crimean Tatar people.

The appointment of Nariman Dzhelyal as Ukraine’s Ambassador to Türkiye was first announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in December 2024 as part of a major rotation of Ukrainian ambassadors. The official decree was signed on 14 May.

Congratulations to the newly appointed ambassador as he begins his diplomatic mission.