Russians, Ukrainians living in southern Turkiye call for peace

By Mustafa Kurt and Gulsem Adam

ANTALYA, Turkiye (AA) - Russians and Ukrainians living in Turkiye are concerned about Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.

Ekaterina Gunduz, the chairperson of the Russian Education and Culture Association in the Alanya district of southern Turkiye, told Anadolu Agency that they have always been in favor of peace.

Stating that armed conflict could not bring any good, Gunduz said: "The soldiers are someone's husbands, sons, fathers.”

“Ukrainians are our brothers and sisters,” she stated, adding that there are so many Ukrainians in their association, and they all pray together for the intervention to end as fast as possible.

“Don't let people die. We want peace," she said.

Natalia Iletmis, a Ukrainian who has been living in Alanya for 10 years, also said that she learned about the events in the morning with great sadness.

Stating that her family is in Ukraine, she said: "We want Russians to leave our land and not harm us. We are very upset.”

“My family lives in the west of Ukraine. My brother's wife is a soldier. That area has also been bombed. I am so very sorry,” she said.

Another Ukrainian, Tamila Sudaieva, prayed for the war to end, saying: "We want a world without war, we want a country.”

- ‘We will never leave our own land’

Vita Mykhaylova, the chairperson of the Association of Ukrainian Families, said her relatives and friends in Ukraine are worried about their lives.

"Everyone is in fear, we don't know what will happen. We are currently talking to our relatives there, but maybe we won't be able to contact them by phone in a few minutes,” she stated.

“We only know that we will never give up our own land. We will always defend our own land, our soldiers, our people are very strong,” she said.

“We are brothers and sisters. Siblings cannot do this to each other. Our heart is with Ukraine."

Tatiana Alichavus also tearfully called for "peace to be restored as soon as possible".

Alicavus recalled that they heard the sound of bombs and jets while talking to their families in Ukraine.

Russia’s long-feared military intervention in Ukraine was announced early Thursday by President Putin, who said the operation aims to protect people “subjected to genocide” by Kyiv and to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine. He also called on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, more than 130 people, including civilians, were killed on the first day of the military intervention.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Merve Berker in Ankara