Turkey on Tuesday rejected Russia's decision to recognize Donetsk and Lugansk, calling it “unacceptable,” Turkish media reports.
"The decision of the Russian Federation to recognize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Republics, in addition to contradicting the Minsk Agreements, constitutes a clear violation of Ukraine's political unity and territorial integrity," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The Russian Federation’s decision is unacceptable and we reject it," it added.
"We reiterate once again our commitment to the preservation of Ukraine’s political unity and territorial integrity and invite all concerned parties to act with common sense and to abide by international law," it said.
The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin officially recognized Ukraine's Donetsk and Lugansk regions as independent states Monday and signed agreements with their separatist leaders in the Kremlin.
Moscow has repeatedly denied any plan to invade Ukraine and instead accused Western countries of undermining Russia's security through NATO's expansion toward its borders.
