Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Ilmi Umerov has said that his release and the release of Akhtem Chiygoz became possible due to the actions of the Presidents of Turkey and Ukraine Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Petro Poroshenko, as well as the leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov and the authorized representative of the president of Ukraine on Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev.

"This became possible as a result of the very great interest and concrete actions of a large number of people, the international community and specifically President of the Turkish Republic, Mr. Erdogan, the actions of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the actions of the leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov and Mustafa Jemilev," Umerov said a joint press conference with Chiygoz in Ankara (Turkey) on Thursday.

As reported, on September 11, a Russian court sentenced Chiygoz to eight years in a strict-regime colony. On September 27, Simferopol District Court brought in a verdict in the case of Umerov and sentenced him to two years in a penal colony.

After staying in a Russian prison, on October 25, Chiygoz and Umerov were transferred to Turkey, and from there they are to arrive in Ukraine. They are exempt from criminal liability, but they are forbidden to reside in Crimea. Therefore, they will work in Kyiv.