ANKARA

Turkey on Monday rejected the parliamentary elections held in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

In a statement, Tanju Bilgic, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said: “Turkey maintains its support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and does not recognize the unlawful annexation of Crimea."

In this context, Bilgic said, the State Duma elections held in Crimea on Sept. 17-19 have “no legal validity for Turkey.”

The Ukrainian administration also objects to Russia's elections in Crimea on the grounds that it violates international law.