Turkey has confirmed that it will not recognize the results of the referendums in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia in Ukraine.
Such referendums on annexation by Russia are currently taking place in four regions of Ukraine: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
However, many Western leaders have already stated that any fake referendum in Ukraine would be considered illegal.
Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for the president of Turkey, explained that the country recognizes the “territorial integrity of the Ukrainian people and state”.
“We do not find the unilateral referendum efforts appropriate, we do not recognize the Crimean referendum and the result held in 2014 before, and our position on such referendums is clear,” he said.
“We stand next to Ukraine. The diplomatic process must begin.”
According to him, Turkey is “the only country” that makes “sincere efforts and tries to end the war”.
In 2014, Russia completed legislation to take control of Crimea after a referendum that was deemed illegitimate by much of the West.
As a result, a number of sanctions were imposed on Russian officials to punish Moscow for its takeover.