ANKARA

Türkiye has welcomed the release of Nariman Celal, deputy head of Crimean Tatar national assembly, or Mejlis, as part of a recent prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. 

"We greatly welcome the release of Nariman Celal, the Deputy Chairman of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, as part of a prisoner exchange," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Celal was detained by Russian security forces in Crimea in September 2021 following his participation in the first summit of the Crimean Platform in August the same year, the ministry said, expressing its gratitude to all parties involved in this process.

"We expect further steps to be taken for the immediate release of our Crimean Tatar kinsmen who remain imprisoned, including Asan Ahmetov and Aziz Ahmetov," it added.

Türkiye stands ready to extend all kind of support to facilitate and expedite reaching this goal, it said.

Russian intelligence claimed that a sabotage operation was carried out in Akmescit (Simferopol) on Aug. 23, 2021, and alleged that the operation was organized by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Intelligence and the Crimean Tatar Mejlis.