On 21 October, during his visit to Ankara, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha visited the General Centre of the Crimean Tatar Diaspora in Türkiye.

‘I was glad to have a warm and friendly meeting with the leaders of the Crimean Tatar community in Türkiye. Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars are fighting side by side for a just peace, freedom and liberation from Russian occupation. Crimea is Ukraine. Crimea will be free,’ the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said following the meeting.

During the meeting, the Minister expressed his gratitude for the continued support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in particular for the recent solidarity visit of the leaders of the Crimean Tatar communities of Türkiyeand Romania to Kyiv.

The Foreign Minister stressed that there is no alternative to President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula, which includes the liberation of Crimea from Russian occupation, and the importance of implementing the Victory Plan.

Andriy Sybiha praised the contribution of Crimean Tatar organisations to the preservation and development of the national culture of the Crimean Tatars. For their part, the diaspora leaders expressed gratitude for the attention of the Ukrainian state to protecting the interests of their people, stressing that the Crimean Tatar diaspora is an important bridge of friendship between Ukraine and Türkiye.

They also expressed confidence in the future of Crimea as part of Ukraine, and stressed their belief in the inevitable victory of our country in the struggle to restore its territorial integrity.