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Russia manages Turkey, Crimean Tatars in Ukraine

Russia hopes to assure Turkish neutrality and understanding in dealing with the Crimea Peninsula.
A member of the local Crimean Tatar community looks out of a makeshift shelter to keep watch against pro-Russian supporters near their houses on the outskirts of Simferopol, March 9, 2014. An armed pro-Russian force wearing military uniforms bearing no designated markings sealed off another military airport in Ukraine's Crimea on Sunday, a defence ministry spokesman on the peninsula said.  REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3GCMU

Many comments have been published about the outcomes of the Ukraine-Crimea crisis and Russia’s policy toward it with respect to the existing crises in the Middle East — Syria, Iran and Israel-Palestine. A lot has been said about a possible shift in Russia’s approach toward cooperation with the West, which is intensifying pressure on Moscow.

But one of the main repercussions of the recent developments in Ukraine — especially the secession referendum in the Crimea set by the local authorities for March 16 — directly and strongly affects Turkey and the Turkey-Russia relationship. It is partially related to the local Tatars.

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