Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Paul Grod addressed a letter to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to congratulate him on his recent victory in the race for the presidency and congratulate him on his re-election as President.
The Turkish media have responded positively to UWC’s appeal, with some popular Turkish media outlets quoting the text of the letter.
20 milyonluk Ukrayna diasporası, Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'ın yeniden seçilmesini kutladı:
💢 Türkiye, Rusya'nın Ukrayna'yı işgalinden bugüne kadar Ukrayna'nın yanında güçlü bir şekilde sürekli durmuş ve işgal altındaki Kırım'da zulüm gören Kırım Tatar halkının güçlü bir sesi… pic.twitter.com/DPZaINeh07
— gdh (@gundemedairhs) May 30, 2023
“Ukrainians worldwide know you as a great friend and ally of Ukraine, and we truly cherish your amicable attitude. We respect and highly value the friendly relations between our nations,” reads the official letter.
The letter also highlights that Türkiye had been strongly and consistently standing side-by-side with Ukraine from the first days of the Russian military aggression in February 2014 and had been a powerful global voice of support for the Crimean Tatar people suffering brutal oppression in the Russian-occupied Crimea.
Ukrainians are grateful for Türkiye’s political, economic, and significant military support of Ukraine, which helped the country withstand the first days of Russia’s full-scale military invasion on February 24, 2022, and for providing shelter to thousands of Ukrainian women and children seeking refuge from war.
“We are convinced that under your leadership, Türkiye will strengthen its role as a regional leader and one of the most influential global players. We also expect that a strategic partnership between Türkiye and Ukraine will bolster and bring stability and prosperity to the Black Sea region. Lastly, we hope for your proactive support of President Zelenskyy’s Peace Plan and Ukraine’s initiatives to restore peace and order in Europe,” the letter concludes.
According to President Erdoğan’s Chief Advisor Mehmet Uçum, the inauguration ceremony will likely occur on Saturday, June 3, 2023.
Photo source: Ali Unal/Copyright 2023 The AP