There’s a lot at play these days between Turkey and Russia. It’s a relationship fraught with sticky situations and touchy subjects. Currently — at least until something else comes along tomorrow — one of the touchier issues is Crimea.

On March 18, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement regarding the third anniversary of the Crimean referendum. “Three years have passed since Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation on the grounds of an illegitimate referendum held on March 16, 2014. We reiterate that we do not recognize the de facto situation caused by this act, which is a clear violation of international law,” the statement said.

Ankara also confirmed its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, saying, “Turkey will continue to follow the situation in Crimea closely and to defend the rights and interests of Crimean Tatar Turks, who are among the principal constituents of the peninsula.”

Just a few days earlier, on March 14, Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman had visited Turkey. During his trip, Groysman met with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and the head of Turkey’s parliament, Ismail Kahraman. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also received Groysman. Apart from discussing a range of economic and political questions, both sides touched on the problem of Crimea and Crimean Tatars. Turkish authorities once again expressed their full support for the ethnic group.