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Ahmet Davutoglu: â€œCrimea should remain as an autonomy under Ukraineâ€

07 March 2014 13:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. “Disputes over the issue of the territorial integrity of Ukraine will create serious instability in the Black Sea basin,” Ahmet Davutoglu stated at a joint press conference with Turkmenistan`s Foreign Minister Rasit Meredow in Ankara, APA reports quoting the Turkish media outlets.

He reiterated Turkey`s concerns over the latest developments in Crimea, where the Russian-majority parliament voted Thursday to secede from Ukraine to join Russia and to hold a referendum on March 16 on the matter. Davutoglu stressed that the peninsula should remain an autonomous republic in Ukraine with peace among all ethnicities, including the Turkic community of Crimean Tatars - whom he applauded for their restraint amid the regional authority`s latest pro-Russian moves. He urged Crimean authorities to avoid actions that could escalate the tension, which had not yet triggered a violent conflict. “Russia and Ukraine are our important strategic partners. Turkey will do its best to ease the tension,” he said.