“Since 1944, our kinsmen, our friends Crimean Tatars, have been suffering, and we have stood by them. Their rights should be protected, their identity has to be preserved and their status on the Crimean peninsula has to be strengthened”, Mr Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye

Türkiye has rejected the illegal occupation of Crimea from the beginning. As Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Mr. Kurtulmuş reiterates, Türkiye supports the integrity of Ukraine within its international borders. If the international community rose their voice against the attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, maybe this war would not have happened and Ukraine wouldn’t have suffered as much.

“Since 1944 our kinsmen, Crimean Tatars, have been suffering and we have stood by them. Their rights should be protected, their identity has to be preserved, and their status on the peninsula has to be strengthened. As we all know, Crimean Tatars have always defended their rights in peaceful and democratic ways, despite the sufferings they faced”, Numan Kurtulmuş says. 

Türkiye is supporting the cause of Ukraine, and mutual efforts aided the opening of the Black Sea grain corridor and contributed to the exchange of prisoners. Looking at current world events, any kind of aggression toward civilians should be condemned — there is no double standard between civilians. In order to prevent the humanitarian crisis, we have to help innocent civilians: that is our humanitarian duty.