On Saturday, March 18, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement in connection with the third anniversary of the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea as part of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, reports NV referring to Anadolu.

"The annexation of the Crimea is an open violation of the norms of international law. Turkey reiterates its non-recognition of the annexation of the peninsula, carried out on the basis of the results of the illegal referendum on March 16, 2014, "the statement stresses.

Foreign Ministry underlines that Turkey recognizes Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"Ankara will continue to closely monitor the processes in the Crimea and protect the rights and interests of the Crimean Tatars who have historically lived on the peninsula," the statement goes on.

Earlier it was reported that Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on the third anniversary of the annexation of Crimea spoke in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine: "Freedom can be occupied, but it can not be taken away. Crimea is Ukraine ".

Russia in March 2014 after the introduction of troops annexed the Ukrainian Crimea, organizing a "referendum" on its self-determination.

The self-proclaimed Crimean government stated that 96.

77% of those who took part in the "referendum" on March 16, 2014, supported the accession of the Crimea to the Russian Federation.

On March 18, the Kremlin signed the so-called "treaty" on the admission of the Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation.

Western countries do not recognize the annexation of the Crimea and imposed a series of economic sanctions against Russia.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially declared the beginning of the temporary occupation of the Crimea on February 20, 2014.