Crimea Assembly Votes for Independence from Ukraine, Merkel Calls Russia's Moves 'Annexation'

Pro-Moscow lawmakers in Crimea voted for independence from Ukraine on Tuesday in a precursor to a referendum this weekend for the region to become part of Russia.

The local assembly approved a "declaration on the independence of the autonomous republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol" with 78 out of 81 lawmakers present voting in favor.

The move by the parliament, which has been declared illegal by the new government in Kiev, appeared to be aimed at creating a legal framework for joining Russia as a sovereign state.

The parliament's press service said in a statement that independence would come into force after the referendum if the result is in favor of Crimea becoming part of the Russian Federation.

The declaration referred to Kosovo's separation from Serbia, adding that "the unilateral declaration of independence of part of a state does not violate any international laws."

If the referendum is in favor of Russia, "the republic of Crimea as an independent and sovereign state will apply to the Russian Federation to join it".

Later on Tuesday, pro-Kremlin militants ordered a suspension of all flights in or out of Crimea's main airport in Simferopol except those connecting to Moscow, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

Militants have taken over air traffic control at the airport and a flight that took off from Kiev on Tuesday was forced to turn back to the capital after being refused permission to land.

A militia member, Ivan, who declined to give his surname, told AFP: "Air traffic control has been taken over, as well as the runway."

He said the move was aimed at preventing activists from Kiev from coming to Crimea.

Ukraine International Airlines said on its website that flights between Kiev and Simferopol on Tuesday and Wednesday had been cancelled "due to airspace restrictions".

A source who works in the airport's air traffic control center told AFP armed men had entered and forced out local workers on Monday night. It was unclear if and when they may be allowed to return, the source said.

Pro-Moscow authorities who have seized power in the Black Sea peninsula and are seeking to join with Russia have taken a number of steps in recent days to isolate the region from the rest of Ukraine and control entry points.

An AFP reporter at the airport said all flights to and from Kiev or Istanbul had been canceled but that two planes had arrived from Moscow and another was scheduled to land.

Lenura Settarova, 38, had been trying to flee Simferopol with her daughter to stay with friends and family in Istanbul until their flight was canceled.

"It's dangerous here," Settarova said, adding that they feared "war will start" and "bombings and shootings" in the city.

"It's not safe in the city. I'm a student, my classes have stopped and I'm not allowed to go outside," said her daughter, Emina, 20.

An employee of Ukraine International Airlines, who gave her name only as Tatyana, said she did not know why the flights had been canceled or when they might resume.

"All I know is that it's because of an instruction from air traffic control," she said.

Flights from Kiev to Simferopol were previously canceled on February 28 -- a day after armed men seized control of parliament and installed a pro-Moscow government in Crimea -- but resumed within less than 48 hours.

Later on Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel labelled Russia's action in Crimea "an annexation" in a meeting with her party's lawmakers, a participant said.

Merkel told the conservative legislators that Russia had effectively "stolen" the peninsula and added that "one can call it an annexation", the party source told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.

The chancellor said Russia must not be allowed to get away with its move on Crimea and stressed the need for a three-fold approach of helping Ukraine, maintaining dialogue with Moscow, while also getting tougher with the Kremlin, including through sanctions.

Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany and speaks Russian, has held repeated phone calls over the Ukraine crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent who speaks German.

She has told Putin that the intervention was a violation of international law and described as "illegal" a referendum on joining Russia planned in Crimea this month.

Western powers have said they will not recognize the result.