The deputy heads of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people who were freed from Russian detention, Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz, have met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Refat Chubarov, the chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and a Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction deputy.

"A meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with deputy heads of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chyigoz ended in Ankara about 20 minutes ago," Chubarov wrote on his Facebook page in the evening on Thursday, October 26.

According to him, the meeting was held at the Ak Saray residence of the Turkish president in Ankara.

"Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz, thanking President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his efforts to release them, asked him to help dozens of other Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians and people of other nationalities who were illegally persecuted, arrested and sentenced in Crimea," Chubarov said.

He said that Erdogan, in turn, had asked them to convey to the Ukrainian president's commissioner for Crimean Tatar people, former head of the Mejlis, Mustafa Jemilev, and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people "the words of support and wishes of success in activities aimed at the benefit of the Crimean Tatar people."

Chubarov also said that Umerov had won the competition of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience.