Türkiye reiterates support for return of all occupied territories to Ukraine, including Crimea – Turkish president’s chief advisor

Türkiye has declared that it supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and also advocates the return of the occupied territories, including Crimea.

The Chief Advisor to the President of Türkiye, Yalçın Topçu, stated this, according to Ukrinform.

The Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Nariman Dzhelal, and the Chief Advisor to the President of Türkiye, Yalçın Topçu, discussed this matter during a meeting.

According to reports, during his visit to Türkiye, Dzhelal talked about:

• the situation in the Russian-occupied Crimea,
• the oppression of the Crimean Tatars,
• and the crimes of the Russian occupiers.

This is the first trip the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis made to Türkiye after his release from Russian captivity.

"Searches and arrests occur constantly. Detainees are sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, where they are in unsatisfactory, inhumane conditions… There were cases when political prisoners over 60 years of age were brought to court in an unsatisfactory state of health," the deputy head of the Mejlis said.

In his turn, Topçu emphasized that Türkiye supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence and emphasizes this on all platforms.

"Türkiye, which supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine, also advocates on all platforms that the return of the occupied territories, including Crimea, is a requirement of international law," the advisor stressed.

Topçu also mentioned that Turkey desires the ongoing occupation and wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon to come to an end.

At the meeting, the representatives also expressed hope that Türkiye, in particular in the person of Erdogan, will contribute to the release of Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainians from Russian captivity.

"In addition to the release of political prisoners, we are also talking about our prisoners of war, civilians who are in the harshest conditions because they defended their homeland at the front, for their position.

The combination of efforts of both the state and civil society is essential here. In Ukraine, public organizations are doing a lot to protect the rights of Ukrainian citizens," Denis Zolotariov, counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine in Türkiye, said at the meeting.

For reference:

Türkiye has repeatedly stated that it supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, Ankara did not stop economic cooperation with Russia during the war in Ukraine.

Türkiye has also expressed its willingness to mediate and facilitate prisoner exchanges. Ankara has repeatedly called on Ukraine and Russia to negotiate.

Türkiye also ratified the Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement with Ukraine.

It was also announced that a significant event occurred on August 1 at the STM shipyard in Istanbul: the launch of the second Ada-class corvette being built for Ukraine, named "Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi."