Turkey thinks that Crimea is a bridge in Ukrainian-Turkish relations, Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
“Crimea, which we consider as a bridge in our investment and other relations, really could turn into a center of regional significance,” he said at the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council of Ukraine and Turkey in Kyiv on Thursday.
Erdogan added that Turkey pays a lot of attention to relations with Crimea, and added that it is important to establish good relations between the Crimean Tatars that live on the peninsula and the Crimean Tatars that live in Turkey.
“Crimea is an important region in our relations with Ukraine from the viewpoint of the economy and culture,” he said.
He also said that integration of Crimean Tatars into the Ukrainian society was important, but their traditions, language, and culture should be preserved.
