In a powerful statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared that those responsible for the ongoing "barbarism in Gaza" will inevitably be held accountable under international law, drawing a poignant comparison to the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. Erdogan's remarks were delivered via a video message to a commemoration ceremony marking the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Türkiye will continue to do our best to ensure that justice is served and the perpetrators of the massacre are held accountable,”
Erdogan affirmed. He underscored the similarities between the current atrocities faced by Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories and those committed 29 years ago in Srebrenica.
Erdogan criticized international organizations for their inaction, noting that they are merely observing as over 40,000 innocent people, including 16,000 children, are killed, much like they did during the Srebrenica genocide. He emphasized that the global community is undergoing a significant test of humanity and sincerity.
The Turkish president also expressed his gratitude for the UN General Assembly’s decision in May to designate July 11 as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day.
“I would like to thank everyone who contributed to all stages of this decision, from its preparation to its adoption. We believe that this decision should serve as an example to prevent a darkness similar to the Srebrenica genocide from being repeated anywhere in the world,” Erdogan said.
He condemned those who deny the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and glorify war criminals despite international court rulings. Erdogan reassured that Türkiye is monitoring the attacks and harassment of people who returned to their homes post-war. He expressed a sincere wish for an internal consensus to prevail in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting that no one benefits from conflict and tension.
Newly Identified Srebrenica Victims Laid to Rest
On July 11, newly identified victims of the 1995 genocide were interred at a memorial cemetery in Potocari, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Among the victims was Beriz Mujic, a 17-year-old whose remains were discovered 28 years after his death and exhumed in May 2023. He will be buried next to his brother Hazim, whose remains were laid to rest in 2013. Their father, Omer Mujic, remains unaccounted for.
The oldest victim to be buried was Hamed Salic, born in 1927, who went missing at 68 during the summer of 1995 in Zepa. His remains were exhumed in May 2014 and recently identified.
Thousands of people from various countries are expected to attend the funerals and burials. Following this year's funeral, the number of victims buried at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery will reach 6,765.
The Srebrenica Genocide: A Dark Chapter
In the spring of 1993, the UN Security Council declared Srebrenica a "safe area." However, Serb troops led by Gen. Ratko Mladic, later convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, overran the zone. Dutch troops, tasked with safeguarding the UN zone, failed to act as Serb forces occupied it on July 11, resulting in the massacre of 2,000 men and boys in a single day.
Approximately 15,000 Bosniaks fled to the surrounding mountains, but Serb troops hunted them down, killing an additional 6,000 people. Serb forces allowed women and children to reach Bosnian-controlled regions but massacred at least 8,372 Bosnian men in forests, factories, and warehouses. The murdered Bosnians were buried in mass graves, with bodies discovered in 570 different locations, including 77 mass graves.
In 2007, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that genocide had been committed in Srebrenica. Efforts to locate the missing victims have continued, with identified remains being interred at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery.
On June 8, 2021, UN tribunal judges upheld a life sentence for Mladic for genocide, persecution, crimes against humanity, extermination, and other war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Comments (0)