ANKARA
Turkey condemned the forceful removal of the Ukrainian flag in the Crimean Tatar Mejlis (assembly) by a group with unmarked military uniforms on Monday.
Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday that "it is worrying for the safety of the Crimean Tatars to see the local forces without any security precautions."
When the Ukrainian flag was removed with force, it was replaced it with a Crimean one in the Crimean Tatar assembly building Monday.
Lilya Muslimova, Press Secretary of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, said that those with military uniforms were brought to the building by bus with a Russian flag and she added that she was threatened by the military group.
The Ukrainian flag was also removed on another occasion from the building after the March 16th referendum, but was erected again on March 19th after Mustafa Abdulcemil Kirimoglu, Ukrainian MP came to Crimea.
Meanwhile on April 22, Crimean News Agency claimed that the Crimean Tatar Leader Mustafa Kirimoglu was handed an 'act notice of unauthorized entry to Russian Federation' by the Russian authorities, banning him from entering the Russian Federation and Crimea for five years.
Turkey's foreign ministry also emphasized the "peaceful efforts" made by the Crimean Tatar Leader for "securing the Crimean Tatars' future in their homeland" in the statement.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
