Invitation to Erdogan: 'If he is truly a wise and brave politician, he can come to Crimea'

The head of the Committee on Public Diplomacy and Interethnic Relations of the Crimean Parliament, Yuri Gempel, has stated that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's stance on Crimea evokes only regret and has invited him to Crimea.

"Erdogan, if he is indeed a wise and brave politician, can come to Crimea. Crimea is open, and Russia seeks to engage in open dialogue with all countries, building friendly relations. However, unfortunately, we currently only hear shortsighted and offensive statements from Erdogan," Gempel told RIA Novosti.

According to him, Crimea is essentially and legally an inseparable part of Russia, and Turkey should not only take this into account but also recognize this fact. "It is time for the Turkish region to build economic relations with Russian Crimea," he added.