Turkey to take part in Crimean Platform summit

Turkey will take part in the Crimean Platform summit in Kyiv. The country is determining the level of representation at the summit.

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar stated this during the opening of the international investment forum “Southern Development Strategy” in Kherson region, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said in a comment to Ukrinform.

In particular, Dzheppar named two groups of states that will take part in the Crimean Platform summit.

The first group includes states the top officials of which – presidents or prime ministers – have officially confirmed their presence.

The second group of states includes those that have expressed their readiness to participate in the summit. At the moment, the leaders of those states are determining the level of representation. Ukraine expects confirmation of participation from either the first or second persons of the states. Turkey belongs to this group of countries, the first deputy minister said.

Dzheppar stressed that Turkey took a clear position in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity, non-recognition of Russia's occupation of Crimea, and condemnation of human rights violations in Crimea.

“In a joint declaration following the ninth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council between Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey, signed by the presidents of the two countries on April 10 this year, our Turkish friends clearly supported the creation of the Crimean Platform as a new format for resolving the issue of illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation," she emphasized.

The deputy minister summed up that "there is no reason to talk about Turkey's non-participation in the Crimean Platform summit."

The Crimean Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to improve the efficiency of the international response to the occupation of Crimea, respond to growing security challenges, step up international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, protect victims of the occupation regime, and achieve the de-occupation of Crimea.

The first Crimean Platform summit is scheduled for August 23, 2021.

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