President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Those guilty of the barbarism in Gaza will, sooner or later, be held accountable under international law, just as in Srebrenica. As Türkiye, we will continue to do our utmost to ensure that justice is served and the perpetrators of the massacre are held accountable.
President Erdoğan sent a video message to the "29th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of the Srebrenica Genocide" held in Bosnia and Herzegovina. .
President Erdoğan reiterated that today is the 29th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, a stain on the history of humanity, and conveyed his condolences to the grieving families of the martyrs and the entire Bosniak people on this mournful day.
President Erdoğan underscored the importance of bearing in mind the bitter truth and the wisdom of the words of Alija Izetbegović, the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a remarkable visionary, a man of cause, and a statesman, who said, "Whatever you do, but do not forget the genocide. Because a forgotten genocide is repeated," and said, "We will not forget Srebrenica, and we will not allow it to fade from memory so that we prevent a similar atrocity from occurring in any other part of the world ever again. May the souls of our martyrs rest eternally in heaven and in peace. May Allah bestow heavenly blessings and glory on all of our martyrs."
President Erdoğan expressed that the grief of those who lost loved ones in Srebrenica is as painful as it was on the first day and prayed to Allah to grant patience to the families of the martyrs and the Bosniak people, whose suffering is rekindled every July 11.
Recalling that Türkiye was a co-sponsor of the draft resolution on the designation of July 11 as the "International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica," which was passed by the United Nations General Assembly on May 23, President Erdoğan noted the following:
"I would like to extend my appreciation to everyone who contributed to the resolution at any stage, from its very first formulation to its adoption. We believe that this decision should serve as a lesson to prevent the recurrence of a tragedy similar to the Srebrenica Genocide in any other part of the world. Nevertheless, the Palestinian people are currently experiencing atrocities in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories that are reminiscent of those that occurred in Srebrenica 29 years ago. International institutions and organisations continue to remain silent in the face of the massacre of 40,000 innocent individuals, including 16,000 children, as they did 29 years ago. The whole world is facing a test of humanity and sincerity. I would like to emphasise that those guilty of the barbarism in Gaza will, sooner or later, be held accountable under international law, just like in Srebrenica. As Türkiye, we will continue to do our utmost to ensure that justice is served and the perpetrators of the massacre are held accountable.''
"We must leave all types of hate speech"
Emphasising that they condemn individuals who continue to deny the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and glorify war criminals despite international court rulings, President Erdoğan said they also follow the attacks and harassment directed towards those who returned to their homes after the war with concern.
Noting that they expect all local authorities to fulfil their duty to ensure that every citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, no matter what their ethnic background, feels safe where they live, President Erdoğan said, ''We must leave all types of hate speech and seek out ways of promoting a culture of peace, tolerance, and reconciliation in order to preserve lasting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.''
While expressing their sincerest wish for an internal reconciliation encompassing every segment of Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Erdoğan stressed that everyone needs to remember that conflict and tension serve no one.
Underlining that Türkiye will continue to do its part to transform Bosnia and Herzegovina into a basin of stability, peace, and prosperity, President Erdoğan said, ''We will continue to provide unconditional support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's territorial integrity, political unity, and sovereignty. I ask you to ease your mind. I once again wish Allah's mercy upon the martyrs of Srebrenica and pay tribute to their precious memories.''