STAND TOGETHER AGAINST RUSSIA OR FALL TOGETHER AS ONE
OTTAWA - Where is Turkey on Ukraine/Russia? A delegation for Turkey appeared before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in Parliament today, of which Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament for Edmonton East, is a member. He noted that the question for Turkey should be, ‘Where is Turkey on Ukraine versus Russia?’ Russia has invaded Ukraine and has occupied Crimea. Both actions upset the international balance and are against international law.
Hundreds of thousands of Crimean Tatars live in fear of their occupiers. This community retains strong ties to the Tatar community of Turkey, which, following the deportation of 1944, still call Crimea ‘home’. With upwards of 500 000 Crimean Tatars in Turkey, four times the size of that in Ukraine, the Crimean crisis of 2014 was widely experienced and must disturb Turkey. Turkey has historic ties to Ukraine and claims to be connected by a religious, linguistic, and cultural bridge. Emphasizing its support for the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government since aggression began in early 2014, where is Turkey today?
Canada is doing its part, implementing increasingly stringent sanctions against Russia in retribution for their crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens. Why does Turkey not do the same? Why is Turkey profiting from the sanctions, disregarding the sanctions, and supplying Russia with all its needs?
We must stand together against the tyranny of Russia or one day we will fall together as one.
