Erdogan says inadequate Western response to Crimea opened door to war | Al Jazeera

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Western powers for failing to adequately respond to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, suggesting a stronger reaction to the move at the time could have prevented Moscow’s current offensive.

“Would we have faced such a picture if the West, the whole world, had raised their voices?” Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Turkey. “Those who remained silent in the face of Crimea’s invasion are now saying some things.”

Erdogan added that Ankara, which has attempted to position itself as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv, hoped “moderation and common sense will prevail and the weapons will fall silent as soon as possible”.