The first group of Crimean Tatars who were evacuated from Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion arrived in Turkey on Tuesday.
As part of Turkey's evacuation efforts carried out by the Foreign Ministry, a group of 45 Crimean Tatars, including women and children, entered Turkey Tuesday through the Kapıkule crossing on the border with Bulgaria.
Suzan Mmbiyetava, an evacuee, told reporters in the northwestern Edirne province that they left Kyiv after the explosions started to hit the capital city.
She said they witnessed the Russian shelling on their way to Lviv with her husband and three children. They were later brought to safe zones with Turkey's support, she added.
"Children and women were evacuated. They brought us to the border ... We left our husbands behind but we spoke to them during our journey," Mmbiyetava said.
Hanife Kurtseyit, another evacuee, expressed her happiness to be in Turkey.
Kurtseyit, who also left her husband behind, said she wanted to stay in Ukraine but had to leave the country for her children's sake.
They arrived in Turkey after a four-day journey via land, Kurtseyit said.
"Turkey has always supported us both during the escape from exile and occupation. They have always been the closest to us."
Since Russia's war on Ukraine began last Thursday, it has been met with outrage from the international community, with the EU, U.K. and the U.S. implementing a range of economic sanctions against Russia.
Russia was further isolated after its planes were barred from flying in European and Canadian airspace, and a number of its banks were kicked out of the SWIFT international banking system.
