Ukrainians protest invasion in Ankara: 'Don't feel sorry for us, feel our pain'

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Ukrainians living in Ankara, Turkey's capital, held a protest on Saturday (February 26) against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. çArşı, a fan group of Beşiktaş football team, one of Turkey's "big three" clubs, also joined the protest.

Holding flags of Ukraine and Turkey, the anti-war protesters displayed placards in Ukrainian, Turkish and English, which read, "Save my country," "Go home, Putler," "Stop war, stop Putin," "Murderer Putin" and so on.

Ukrainians also displayed a large banner that read, "Down with war, down with Putin" and the Beşiktaş fans displayed one that read, "çArşı against Russia."

The protesters frequently chanted slogans, "Murderer Putin, get out of Ukraine" and "Ankara and Kyiv, shoulder to shoulder."

CLICK - Ukrainians in Turkey speak out: 'We are together with our families in heart'

Reading out a statement, the Ukrainians said what is happening is the invasion of a sovereign, independent and democratic country.

"It shouldn't be forgotten that what is happening to Ukraine today will happen to other countries in the future if effective steps are not taken. We want you not to feel sorry for us but to feel our pain.

"We want you to empathize like your own children are killed. Death has no color, religion, race or nation. Pain is the same for everyone. We want you to understand us, the Ukrainians, and what we are going through."

Also criticizing Sputnik's biased coverage of the invasion, the protesters called on Turkey to stop the propaganda of Russia's state media and boycott its companies.

Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, also spoke at the demonstration.

"The Russian Federation has been continuing to commit crimes for three days. This is not a war against Ukraine, this is the third world war," he said. "Belarus is also involved in the war and Russia is trying to include Kazakhstan as well." (YT/TP/VK)