Turkish leaders release messages of peace for Srebrenica

SREBRENICA-ANKARA

DHA photo

Turkey's president and prime minister have released messages of peace on the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre.

8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica by Serb troops in 1995. The massacre in the town, which was declared by the United Nations a safe haven for civilians, was later defined as genocide by two international courts.

15 leaders, including the Serbian premier, Croatian president, Slovenian head of state and Turkish prime minister, attended the July 11 commemoration event in Srebrenica on July 11.

"We need to support peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina, because peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina means peace in the Balkans, Europe and around the world," said Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, according to Anadolu Agency.
          
"Our duty is to never forget and at the same time to ensure the lack of a culture of hate and revenge," he added, stressing that Bosnia was a country with ethnic and cultural differences, which was "a hope" for its development.
      
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who did not attend the event, released a written statement, offering his condolences to the families of thousands of Bosnian victims.

"On that day, whatever pain you experienced there, believe me, we felt the same thing from here in our hearts," Erdoğan said.  "Today, without forgetting the past, we are responsible for building a future with peace...where similar tragedies are not seen," he added.
    
"We are dreaming of a world, where children are not killed while they are flying a kite on a coast, while sleeping in their mother's arms or playing with their children. There is no doubt that the United Nations Security Council countries and international and regional powers have big responsibilities on this point," he said.