DISINFO: After Karabakh, Turkey will take over Crimea
SUMMARY
The military-political alliance between Ukraine and Turkey will result in disastrous consequences, since in the event of a victory in Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey will expand its geopolitical interests (meaning Crimea).
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the recent escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a continuation of the decades-old conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Pro-Kremlin media often attempt to involve Ukraine in the conflict in the Caucasus region by promoting contradictory claims that Kyiv will transport weapons to Azerbaijan or that Kyiv prepares militants to fight in Armenia.
There is no evidence that Ukraine is involved in any manner in the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Nor there is any evidence that Turkey has territorial claims for Crimea.
Turkey supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including its sovereignty over Crimea. Ankara officials have repeatedly spoken about this publicly. During the official visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Turkey on October 16, the joint statement of the leaders of Ukraine and Turkey was issued. The statement, signed by the two leaders, reaffirms Turkey's “unconditional support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognised borders and welcomes the cooperation within the Crimean Platform initiated by Ukraine.”
Crimea is a part of Ukraine and was illegally annexed by Russia. The annexation has been condemned by the UNGA.
No international body recognises the so-called referendum, announced on 27 February 2014 and held on 16 March 2014. A year after the illegal annexation, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum.
See more disinformation cases about the illegal annexation of Crimea here.