President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the massacre of over 8,000 Muslim men and youth in Srebrenica in 1995 a "black spot in the history of humanity" and stated that Srebrenica should not be allowed to be forgotten in order to prevent similar atrocities in the future anywhere in the world, Turkish state TV TRT Haber reported, quoted by BTA.
Erdoğan sent a video message at the commemorative ceremony on the occasion of today's anniversary of the events.
"Today we celebrate the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, which is a black spot in human history,", the Turkish president said, adding: "We will not forget Srebrenica and we will not allow it to be forgotten, lest repeat such atrocity anywhere in the world".
The president wished patience to the families of the dead, "whose pain is renewed every July 11".
Erdogan also connected the topic with the events in Gaza, where, in his words, "the Palestinian people are subjected to cruelty similar to that in Srebrenica".
He recalled the resolution co-authored by Turkey, adopted on May 23 by the UN General Assembly, which declared July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica.
"We believe that this resolution should serve as an example so that darkness similar to the genocide in Srebrenica is not repeated anywhere in the world. However, the Palestinian people in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are being subjected to atrocities similar to what happened in Srebrenica 29 years ago. "International institutions and organizations are only watching the slaughter of about 40 thousand innocent people, including 16 thousand children, just like 29 years ago," he said.
At the same time, Erdogan expressed confidence that "those responsible for barbarism in Gaza will sooner or later be brought to justice under international law, just like in Srebrenica.
"We, Turkey, will continue to do everything possible so that justice prevails and the perpetrators of the massacre are held accountable," he said.
According to the Turkish leader, maintaining lasting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina requires refraining from all kinds of hate speech and efforts to spread the culture of peace, tolerance and reconciliation.
"We sincerely wish for internal reconciliation to prevail, covering all segments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Everyone should remember that no one will gain from the conflicts and tensions," he said and emphasized Turkey's "unconditional support for the territorial integrity, political unity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina".