On the 30th anniversary of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parliamentary Assembly (BSEC), the Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit was held in Ankara.
FLAG UP CREATED TENSION
In the event, an incident broke out between the sides of Russia and Ukraine, which have been at war for more than a year. At the summit, during the speech of the Deputy Head of the Russian Delegation, Olga Timofeeva, the Ukrainian delegation stood behind Timofeeva, unfurled the flag and the ultra-nationalist organization Right Sector (Pravy Sektor) and chanted slogans against Russia. There was a short quarrel between the two sides as the Russian delegation tried to prevent this action of the Ukrainians. The Head of the Ukrainian Delegation, Anna Purtova, left her seat vacant throughout Timofeeva’s speech.
SHENTOP INTERVENED
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Şentop intervened in the protest of the Ukrainian delegation with a flag. Şentop, who took a break from the meeting, demanded that the committee, who disrupted the working order, be taken out of the hall. Şentop said, “Whoever we have promised will speak here. I will not disturb the peace and order of this meeting. If anyone has such an intention, let them go out.” used the phrase.
THEY ARE INTO EACH OTHER
However, the tension continued in the corridors. The Ukrainian flag in the hands of the Ukrainian Deputy Oleksandr Marikovsky was taken by the Russian delegate Valey Stavitsky. Those moments were also recorded as the two names clashed.