Turkish delegation visit to Crimea was not official: Turkish Foreign Ministry

Turkish Foreign Ministry on Nov. 25 said a Turkish delegation's recent visit to Crimea was "unofficial."

The ministry's spokesperson Ambassodor Hüseyin Müftüoğlu said the visit, covered by media outlets, took place with an "initiative of an unofficial delegation, without asking for our ministry's opinion and permission."

"The visit does not have an official aspect and there are not any changes concerning Turkey's policy on recognizing Ukraine's territorial integrity including Crimea," said Müftüoğlu.

Daily Hürriyet on Nov. 25 reported that a delegation led by Eurasia Local Governances Head Hasan Cengiz along with an AKP executive member, Mahmut Sami Mallı, and two other names paid a visit to Crimea, prompting the Ukrainian government's reaction in which it said will take legal actions against the Turkish participants.

Russian sources meanwhile, alleged that the delegation's visit was an initiative of Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, daily Hürriyet also said.