ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Ministry commemorated on Thursday the victims of Srebrenica genocide and cursed one more the crime against humanity on 18th year of the massacre.
We commemorate our Bosnian brothers and sisters with respect and mercy, who died in Srebrenica genocide, which caused more than 8,000 people's death in 1995 and curse one more the crime against humanity, Foreign Ministry stated in a written release.
"We believe that regional countries and international society have taken lessons from Srebrenica. They will try their best not to allow radical nationalism and ethnic hatred causing incidents, stand against underestimating the genocide or denying it and will take all necessary precautions," the statement said.
Referring to Bosnia-Herzegovina's multi ethnical and cultural society structure, the statement said, "We underline our belief that our friendly nation Bosnia-Herzegovina's people should leave a heritage of mutual sympathy and tolerance for next generations. With this, we vouch our decision for permanent peace and stability in Balkans, what we attribute importance and priority in our foreign policy."
It was also stated that Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Omer Celik represented Turkey during the ceremony in Srebrenica.
July 11, 1995 marked the slaying of more than 8,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) boys and men, perpetrated by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica, a town in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina. In addition to the killings, more than 20,000 civilians were expelled from the area—a process known as ethnic cleansing. The genocide as the worst episode of mass murder within Europe since World War II, helped galvanize the West to press for a cease-fire that ended three years of warfare on the Bosnian territory. However, it left deep emotional scars on survivors and enduring obstacles to political reconciliation between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.
