Türkiye's Foreign Ministry commemorates Srebrenica genocide anniversary

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday hosted a commemoration ceremony in Ankara to mark the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, with senior officials from Ankara and Sarajevo warning against historical revisionism and the dangers of rising hate speech in the region. Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay told attendees that July 11 serves as Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day in Türkiye under a presidential circular issued last year, noting that the UN General Assembly designated the same date as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration in May 2024.

'Darkest chapter' in shared memory

Bozay described the 1995 atrocity as "one of the darkest chapters not only in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in the shared memory of Europe and all humanity." He stated that the killings demonstrated the destructive consequences of hatred and extreme nationalism, adding that rulings by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had legally established the events as genocide. Stressing that Türkiye regards peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a pillar of Balkan stability, he said Ankara remains committed to Sarajevo's sovereignty and territorial integrity despite recent political challenges.

Denialism 'continuation of crime'

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ambassador to Ankara Mirsada Colakovic expressed gratitude to Türkiye for its "principled and determined support," recalling that more than 8,000 people were killed simply for being Bosniak Muslims while the international community remained silent. "Genocide denial is not freedom of expression; it is the continuation of the crime by other means," Colakovic said, criticizing efforts to portray perpetrators as heroes. She emphasized that no court ruling could be altered through propaganda, adding that newly identified victims buried annually in Potocari serve as reminders that justice must never be abandoned.