Can Türkiye be mediator in ending Russia-Ukraine war: Crimean Tatars leader's opinion
Photo: Leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev (flickr.com.president_of_ukraine)
The leader of the Crimean Tatar people and MP of Ukraine Mustafa Dzhemilev doubts that Türkiye can mediate in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. According to him, Moscow will not agree to such a role because of Ankara's clear position on Crimea.
Dzhemilev recalled that back in 2014 when Russia began the occupation of Crimea, he and Refat Chubarov met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He asked the Turkish leader to close the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to Russian ships, to join the EU sanctions against Russia, and to blockade Crimea with the Turkish fleet.
However, Türkiye refused, explaining that the closure of the straits is possible only if the country is directly involved in the war, sanctions are impossible due to close economic ties with Russia, and a military blockade of Crimea is possible only by NATO's decision.
Dzhemilev is convinced that Russia will not allow Türkiye to mediate in the negotiations, as Ankara has a clear position on Crimea. He recalled that during the last Crimean Platform summit, Erdoğan said that the stolen Crimea must return to Ukraine, which is fully in line with international law. In his opinion, Russia's Putin will never agree to such a mediator, because he needs leaders like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Negotiations between United States and Russia
On February 18, official delegations from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that he would not make any territorial concessions to Ukraine, emphasizing Moscow's tough stance before the talks with US President Donald Trump's team.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to mediators, including Americans and Europeans, emphasizing his desire to resolve the conflict peacefully, but without compromising Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
During his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelenskyy discussed these issues. He also emphasized the importance of Türkiye's assistance in exchanging prisoners and ensuring food security for Ukraine.
