Over 200 more Crimean Tatars evacuated from Ukraine arrive in Turkiye

A further 209 Crimean Tatars who had been evacuated from Ukraine due to war with Russia arrived in Turkiye early Thursday morning.

Kirklareli Deputy Governor Mehmet Faruk Saygin and other local officials greeted the group, which included 98 children, at the Derekoy border gate in the northwestern province with flowers and toys for the children.

The National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) was also on standby at the border, caring for children who were not feeling well after their arduous journey.

Lenara Kadji, who traveled from Ukraine, told Anadolu Agency that they are relieved to be in Turkiye and thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials for their evacuation efforts.

“We are heartbroken. Our relatives stayed in Crimea, as they cannot come out now,” she said.

The refugees who do not have a place to live will be accommodated in designated guesthouses by the Kirklareli administration.

The international community has been outraged by Russia’s war on Ukraine, with the EU, UK, and US imposing a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow.

Russia was further isolated after its planes were barred from flying in European, US, and Canadian airspace, and a number of its banks were kicked out of the international banking system SWIFT.