Turkish diplomat to be head of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine

Turkish diplomat, former Turkish ambassador to the UN Yaşar Halit Çevik will head the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine instead of Ertuğrul Apakan, - LB.ua reports with reference to the OSCE press service.

Apakan led the OSCE SMM in Ukraine for 5 years. A farewell ceremony was held for him in Vienna today, which was attended by Chairman-in-Office of the Organization, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger.

"We are proud that he was part of the OSCE and are grateful for his contribution", - the report said.

Miroslav Lajčák presented Ambassador Apakan with a gold medal, which is the highest recognition of the Slovak diplomatic service. In turn, the OSCE Secretary General presented the OSCE medal to the diplomat.

"Our observers interact with people every day, they talk to civilians on the contact line every day, cross checkpoints. We talk to those who continue to work for their communities to keep in touch, despite the differences", - Apakan said about the work of the observer mission.