On November 6, the director of the National Institute of Strategic Studies Dr. Oleksandr Bogomolov discussed the topic “Ukraine and the Turkish World: From Shared History to the Plight of Crimea Tatars Today” within the framework of the conference “In Search of Integration in the Shadow of the Global Struggle for Power and the Turkish World”, organized by Ankara Center for Crisis and Political Studies (ANKASAM).
Paying special attention to the Ukrainian-Turkish nations shared history and the issue of the status of the Crimean Tatars Dr. Oleksandr Bogomolov expressed his hope for the strengthening of Ukrainian-Turkish relations and for Turkey’s assistance in the struggle for the rights of the ethnic groups of the Crimean Tatars who became victims of the Russian repression.
The expert continued his speech as follows:
“There is a huge historical moment that connects Ukraine and Turkish World. We can say about intense communications, shared history and the past between our nations. Moreover, after the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine and Turkey as natural partners due to the geographical proximity, economic interrex and shared history are strengthening cooperation between each other. For example, in 2011 Ukraine concluded a declaration on the establishment of a high-level strategic council with Turkey, which is now operative. Mutually beneficial cooperation is strengthening in defense industry and political level. Also, the negotiations on free trade zone are ongoing, the agreement will be signed soon.
The other important issue is the status of the Crimea Tatars, which is also the shared interest with Turkey. In this sense, further cooperation with Turkey is very important in order to preserve the identities of the ethnic Crimea Tatars group, who are the victims of Russia’s repression and offset.”
Readers can watch the recording of the online conference on the ANKASAM YouTube channel.