President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a video message to the "28th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of the Srebrenica Genocide" held in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Expressing gratitude to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their prayers during Türkiye's crucial election process, President Erdoğan remarked, "We will strive to be worthy of the trust of our brothers and sisters from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who hold a special place in our hearts along with our nation."
Recalling that today marks the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, which left a black stain on human history, President Erdoğan said:
On this day of mourning, I once again extend my deepest condolences to the grieving families of our martyrs and all our Bosniak brothers and sisters. The late Alija's words, 'Whatever you do, do not forget the genocide because the forgotten genocide is repeated,' remain etched in our minds for their wisdom and bitter truth. We will never forget Srebrenica, and we will never let it be forgotten, to prevent similar atrocities from happening again. The wound inflicted on our hearts by the genocide committed in Srebrenica in front of the eyes of the entire world has continued to bleed for the past 28 years. With each of our martyrs we bury, we relive those days, recall them once more, and shed tears once more. Today, we will bid farewell to 30 more of our martyrs to their eternal resting places. May the souls of our martyrs rest eternally in heaven and in peace. May all of our martyrs be blessed with the heavenly realm and splendour."
"We must work towards the maintenance of peace and stability"
Extending condolences to the families of the martyrs and the Bosnian people, whose suffering is repeated every July 11, President Erdoğan said: ''There are still many who, regrettably, defend those who deny the genocide that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina and claim they do not regret committing war crimes, notwithstanding the decisions of the international courts. I condemn these unscrupulous people and their regrettable statements.''
President Erdoğan emphasised that hate speech should be left behind and that a culture of peace, tolerance, and reconciliation should prevail to prevent the repetition of the tragedy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"We will always safeguard Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence"
Following up on his call for cooperation to maintain peace and stability in the Balkans, President Erdoğan said:
"It should not be overlooked that Bosnia and Herzegovina's stability is essential to the stability of the Balkans and Europe. Türkiye will continue to do its part to transform Bosnia and Herzegovina into a basin of stability, peace, and prosperity. Today, compared to 28 years ago, there is a more powerful and prestigious Türkiye in terms of its economy, diplomacy, opportunities, and capabilities. As a country, we will never allow a recurrence of the suffering endured here. We will always safeguard Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. I ask you to ease your mind. I wish Allah's mercy upon the martyrs of Srebrenica and pay tribute to their precious memories.
Post on Srebrenica
On the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, President Erdoğan commemorated those who passed away with mercy.
In a post he shared on his social media account, President Erdoğan said, "On the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, which has gone down in history as a dark stain on humanity, I extend my deepest condolences to the grieving families of our martyrs and all Bosniak brothers and sisters. We will never forget Srebrenica, and we will never let it be forgotten to prevent similar atrocities from happening again."