Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Vladimir Putin should “return of Crimea to Ukraine,” which is a “requirement of international law.”

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that Crimea should be returned back to Ukraine if Moscow and Kyiv sign a corresponding agreement, the TASS agency reported.

Turkey’s stance on the annexed peninsula has not changed since 2014 when Crimea was taken by Putin, they say it is not legal, Turkish television channel TRT quoted Kalin, he added, “This should be the basis of any agreement to be made.”

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Turkey’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that “the return of Crimea to Ukraine, of which it is an inseparable part, is essentially a requirement of international law.”

“Turkey does not recognize the annexation of Crimea and has been openly stating since the first day that this step is illegitimate and illegal,” he added.

“This is a principled stance that has not only legal but also moral foundations.”

The Turkish President said that protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political unity is “critical.”

This is not only for regional but also for global security and stability, he added, “Ensuring the safety and well-being of our Crimean Tatar compatriots is also among Turkey’s priorities.”