Türkiye's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Feridun Sinirlioğlu, said on Monday that Türkiye will be one of the presenters of the draft resolution "condemning the illegal referendums and annexation decision of Russia in eastern Ukraine" that will be put to the vote at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The UNGA convened in a special session after Russia vetoed last week's Security Council resolution condemning illegal referendums and annexation in eastern Ukraine.
Indicating that the UNGA convened in an emergency session, Sinirlioğlu said that the U.N. Security Council once again failed to fulfill its primary responsibility of ensuring peace and security.
"While the whole world is calling for an end to the war, we woke up to shocking news once again this morning. Russia's attacks on many Ukrainian cities, which today have caused civilian casualties, are deeply worrying and unacceptable. We reiterate our strong support for its integrity, independence, and sovereignty," Sinirlioğlu said.
Stating that Türkiye did not accept Russia's illegal referendums in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia, Sinirlioğlu said that this step seriously violated international law.
"The decision to annex Ukraine's lands will put the hopes of peace at more risk. We call on Russia to abandon this decision and return to diplomacy," Sinirlioğlu added.
Stressing that everyone needs a rules-based international order, crises should be resolved peacefully and it is everyone's common responsibility to protect the principles in the U.N. Convention, Sinirlioğlu said Türkiye's decision to vote in the UNGA this week is "Russia's illegal activities in eastern Ukraine. condemning the referendums and the annexation decision," said that he would be one of the presenters of the draft resolution.
"We don't want war in our region. Nobody wins the war, everyone loses. The war in Ukraine must be resolved through negotiations. We helped the U.N. secretary-general and the parties to meet on a common ground on the grain corridor initiative. We can do more. We can do more. As its neighbor, we are ready to support and facilitate the peace process to end the war," Sinirlioğlu said.
In previous days, the Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and Russian-controlled parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson held referendums on Sept. 23-27 on joining Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a ceremony at the Kremlin to announce the annexation of four Ukrainian regions partly occupied by his forces. He signed treaties to annex Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia at a grand ceremony.
Putin annexed the regions despite warnings from the West and the fact that Moscow's forces do not control the entirety of the regions. The longtime Russian leader said the people of the regions had made a "univocal choice" to join Russia after so-called referendums that Moscow organized. "I want to say this to the Kyiv regime and its masters in the West: People living in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia (regions) are becoming our citizens forever," he said.
The West and international organizations did not recognize the voting, which was organized after Russia seized the territories by force. In a speech before signing the treaties, Putin demanded that Kyiv stop all military action.
"We call on the Kyiv regime to immediately stop fighting and stop all hostilities ... and return to the negotiating table."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the illegal annexation wouldn't change anything.
"All territories illegally occupied by Russian invaders are Ukrainian land and will always be part of this sovereign nation," she said.
Italy's recently elected leader Giorgia Meloni said Putin "once again demonstrates his Soviet-style, neo-imperialist vision that threatens the security of the entire European continent."
The European Council also criticized Putin's move.
Also, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan talked about this situation and said, "The referendum causes trouble. I wish that they did not hold a referendum, but rather we could solve this problem through diplomacy."