President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has called for the return of the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia to Ukraine. In a video message to a Crimean Platform summit, the Turkish President said, "Our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence remains unwavering. International law mandates that Crimea be returned to Ukraine." Kyiv is attempting to draw more international attention to the annexed peninsula through the Crimean Platform, which was established in 2021.
Ankara also criticised Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Erdoğan has repeatedly underlined the need to respect Ukraine's sovereignty. Ankara is regarded as the traditional protector of Crimean Tatars, who make up 10 per cent of Crimea. "They have the right to live a free, secure, and peaceful life in their homeland," Erdoğan said about the Crimean Tatars.
NATO member Türkiye maintains close ties with Moscow, including trade relations. Russia is also one of Türkiye's major energy suppliers.