ANKARA
Any threat to Ukraine's territorial integrity may have destabilizing repercussions throughout Eurasia, Turkey's Foreign Minister said Friday.
"Exclusion of any ethnic or political side may cause further unrest in the country and pose a threat throughout the Black Sea basin," Ahmet Davutoglu stated at a joint press conference with Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rasit Meredow, emphasizing the need for an all-inclusive political structure in Kiev.
He reiterated Turkey's concerns over the latest developments in Crimea, where the Russian-majority parliament voted Thursday to secede from Ukraine to join Russia and to hold a referendum on March 16 on the matter.
Davutoglu stressed that the peninsula should remain an autonomous republic in Ukraine with peace among all ethnicities, including the Turkic community of Crimean Tatars - whom he applauded for their restraint amid the regional authority's latest pro-Russian moves.
He urged Crimean authorities to avoid actions that could escalate the tension, which had not yet triggered a violent conflict.
Concerns over Crimea's future remain high after Russian or pro-Russian troops have reportedly taken control of strategic points across the peninsula following the February 22 ouster of Ukraine's avowedly pro-Russian former president Viktor Yanukovych.
The referendum scheduled for March 16 in Crimea has been condemned as "illegal" by both the United States and the European Union, with the latter announcing it would suspend visa talks with Russia.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
