Türkiye reiterates it does not recognize de facto situation in Crimea

Yeni Safak ^ | 3/16/2025 | Staff

[marcusmaximus]

On the 11th anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea via an "illegitimate referendum," Türkiye said it does not recognize the "de facto situation in Crimea," expressing its support to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"We reiterate that Türkiye does not recognize the de facto situation in Crimea, which constitutes a violation of international law, and that we support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

"We will continue to closely monitor developments in Crimea, particularly the situation of the Crimean Tatar Turks, the indigenous people of the peninsula, and we will keep them on the agenda of the international community."

[lee martell]

Aa always, Erdogan lines up with the wrong side, just to go against the flow.

[ModelBreaker]

“Does it really matter what they think?”

Turkey? You bet. They control the entry to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean. And they have the largest and most capable military in the middle east (Israelis are more battle tested but Turkey would be formidable should it go to war).

The Ukraine war affects them long term maybe slightly less than it affects Ukraine as it has changed the geopolitics of the Black Sea profoundly, with Russia now occupying most of the North shore. Turkey (and its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire) have always been extremely concerned about Russia and control of the Black Sea.

[GingisK]

If it is not on my keyboard, it is not in my language. I have no use of appearing scholarly in another land.

(That is long version of "stuff it".)

I think we both see that as some form of virtue signalling or keyboard snobbery. Turkey it is! How else can we say "Hitler got Hungary and ate Turkey"?

[BlackbirdSST]

I never said Putin was an angel. He’s not. I said he was provoked by NATO/NEOCONs/dems to fight back,.

You're right on both counts.

[xxqqzz]

It’s Turkey!

[ModelBreaker]

“Turkey could just keep the Bosphorus closed to Russian shipping forever. That would probably make someone care.”

There is a treaty that limits that somewhat.

But if Turkey did that, it would trigger the next modern war over the Black Sea (Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea being the first). Russia would not fare so well against Turkey as it has against Ukraine.

Turkey is getting pushy. The whole situation in Syria was Turk based and resulted in pushing the Russians out of Syria. Not a bad thing.

But closing the Bosphorus would cause a very serious war. Turkey is a NATO member and Russian aggression against Turkey would trigger Article 5. The US has nuclear arms based in Turkey, I believe.

So yes, Turkey should be taken very seriously.

[Robert DeLong]

Of course Recep Tayyip Erdoğan doesn't recognize Russia's claim to the Crimea. He wants to make it Ukraine's so that it will be easier to retake it for the Caliphate, which he intends to be him, as he reinstitutes the Ottoman Empire.

It has nothing to do with supporting Ukraine.

Yeni Safak was created in 1994 & is a big supporter of Erdoğan, and being Islamic it is not a sin to include a falsehood to deceive those who are not believers of Islam.

[dfwgator]

Turks are hypocrites, since they still occupy Northern Cyprus, and has expressed a desire to annex it.

[dfwgator]

Is this a headline from 1854?

---

“Theirs not to reason why....”

[yuleeyahoo]

Are they hoping for a return of the Crimean slave trade?

[Fiji Hill]

Türkiye Turkey said it does not recognize the "de facto situation in Crimea,"

FIFY

[Cronos]

well, the Mohammedan factor is the main factor, yes.

But the situations are not the same - the Russian federation grabbed land (the Crimean peninsula) from its neighbor while Kosovo was a land that got independence from another.

Now if Albania had invaded and conquered Kosovo, THAT would be comparable.

[kiryandil]

Tell Putin to get out of the way of President Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize and agree to his ceasefire deal.

Tell your mom to tell you to stop leavink your Special Ceasefire Sock on the computer desk.

[Tell It Right]

All true on Turkey's position in the Black Sea.

Also related is that Turkey imports tons of grain from Russia and Ukraine. They recently put in a tariff of 130% on grain imports, ostensibly to assist their grain farmers. But in reality it's a tax on their own people eating, since their grain production didn't increase

So the sick man of Europe is both a player and a leacher.

[ModelBreaker]

“So the sick man of Europe is both a player and a leacher.”

I’m not so sure they are the “sick man of Europe” anymore. As I’m sure you know, that was European joke about the Ottoman Empire which got reduced to Turkey in WWI. Turkey now has a pretty vibrant economy by middle eastern standards and a pretty strong military.

The Syria situation suggests they are ready to flex their muscles — and did so pretty successfully in Syria.

[Tell It Right]

With all due respect, Turkey flexing their muscles in Syria is like saying a college football team has a winning record in a FCS conference. As long as Turkey likes to pretend with one side of their mouth that they’re European and part of NATO and such, but everybody knows that they act like a disease to the west, I’ll still call them the sick man of Europe.

[gleeaikin]

I think they were upset at being compared with the national Thanksgiving bird. Erdogan and Zelensky seem to have come to a mutually acceptable decision on the future of Crimea.

[gleeaikin]

I think they were upset at being compared with the national Thanksgiving bird. Erdogan and Zelensky seem to have come to a mutually acceptable decision on the future of Crimea.