Turkish FM warns of domino effect of Ukrainian crisis

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned Sunday that the crisis in Ukraine could affect latent conflicts in the Eurasian region that people in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea went to the polls to decide whether or not to secede from the Ukraine.

“Pandora’s box should not be opened. If you create a de facto situation in Ukraine, which will have a domino effect on all the countries of the Eurasian region,” Davutoglu said.

The referendum , which comes two weeks after the Russian -led forces took control of the Crimea , is widely expected to approve secession. Turkey has called for dialogue and restraint , urging Ukraine to maintain balanced relationships and not just focus on cultivating ties with the West at the expense of its relations with Russia and also stressed the importance of welfare of the Tatar minority of Crimea, which have ethnic and cultural ties with the Turks.

“The safety of Tatars is the main strategic priority for Turkey,” Davutoglu said Sunday.