Expert: Russia's occupation of Crimea showed Turkey importance of preserving Ukraine's sovereignty

Yevgeniya Gaber, professor of national security studies and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council (U.S.) and the Center in Modern Turkish Studies at Carleton University, stated this in an exclusive interview with Ukrinform.

"The shift in Ukrainian-Turkish relations occurred not so much formally with the signing of the Strategic Partnership Declaration as after Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014. It was then, in my view, that Ukraine first appeared on Turkey's 'radars' as a security factor," Gaber said.

According to the professor, "the occupation of Crimea clearly demonstrated how critically important it is for Turkey to preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty in order to prevent Russian control over the Black Sea."

"In effect, in the absence of NATO forces in the Black Sea, Ukraine has become a key element in deterring Russia in the region," the expert added.

She stressed that it is extremely important that Ukraine and Turkey today share common security interests. In particular, the way Ukraine is changing the balance of power in the Black Sea objectively serves Turkey's interests across a much broader geography as well.