President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine and Turkey will work closely together in the framework of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly to ensure the protection of human rights in the occupied Crimea. The President of Ukraine also invited President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to join the Crimean Platform project.
"Turkey's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is extremely important to us. President Erdoğan assured that he would continue to make active personal efforts to release political prisoners - Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a joint statement with the President of Turkey to the media following bilateral talks in Istanbul.
The President of Ukraine added that he had discussed the situation in Donbas at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart. The parties agreed that the only and correct way is a political and diplomatic solution to the crisis and the onset of sustainable peace.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed that Turkey had not recognized and did not recognize the annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
"We consider Ukraine a key country in terms of security and stability of our region. In this framework, we have always supported and will continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine including Crimea. Turkey has not recognized and does not recognize the annexation of Crimea," the President of Turkey said.
He added that the Republic of Turkey, together with the Ukrainian people and state bodies of Ukraine, would continue to support the Crimean Tatars.
"Currently, work is underway to implement projects on the construction of housing for our brothers - Crimean Tatars and the construction of a mosque complex in Kyiv. At today's talks, we discussed the state of affairs on this issue," he said.
At the same time, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed that Turkey welcomed and supported the permanent ceasefire regime announced in Donbas on July 27.
"We are ready to provide any support and assistance in order to preserve the stability of our region. And in the same way, our support in the OSCE interim monitoring mission, which has been headed by Turkish diplomats for two consecutive terms, will be continued," the President of Turkey noted.
