COPENHAGEN
Turkey's president condemned Tuesday the referandum in Crimea last weekend in which the electorate voted in favor of the peninsula joining Russia.
"International law should be respected, otherwise the start of a new Cold War will bring damage to everyone,” Abdullah Gul told a joint press conference with Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at the Danish Presidential Palace in Copenhagen.
“During our talks we both said the results of the referendum should not be accepted as they violate international law,” stated Thorning-Schmidt.
He added that European Union (EU) ministers will meet again to discuss Ukraine over concerns following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that Crimea will be seen as part of Russia.
EU member countries, the United States and Turkey do not recognize Crimea's referendum to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, and consider it illegal.
Crimeans went to the polls Sunday in a referendum in which 96.77 percent of the electorate voted to join the Russian Federation. Moscow has steadfastly backed the vote, calling it legitimate and in line with international legal standards.
Crimea was plunged into crisis when armed gunmen, widely believed to be Russian Special Forces, seized Simferopol's airport on February 27-28.
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