Turkey will not recognize Sunday’s State Duma elections in Crimea as legitimate, the RIA Novosti news outlet reported Friday.
"Turkey continues to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea,” said Tanju Bilgich, a spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry. “In this regard, we believe that the results of the elections in Crimea have no legal force,” he said, RIA Novosti reported.
The decision comes as a blow to ties between Ankara and Moscow, which had been improving after months of strained relations.
A stand-off between the two nations began in November 2015, when Turkey shot down a Russian fight jet on the Syrian border. Moscow responded by banning package tours to the country, as well as imports of Turkish fruits and vegetables. The sanctions remained in place until Turkish President Recep Erdogan apologized earlier this year.
A number of
other countries have refused to recognize the elections in the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
The State Duma elections on Sunday, Sept. 18, saw a landslide victory for the ruling United Russia party. Four deputies were elected from the Crimean Peninsula, including the Crimean Prosecutor General, United Russia's Natalya Poklonskaya. United Russia secured 53.78 percent of the vote in the Crimean city of Sevastopol and 68.58 percent in the region's capital of Simferopol.
Poland, Lithuania and the United States are among those who have already announced their refusal to recognize the Crimean elections, while Ukraine has declared the entire Russian State Duma “illegitimate.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
