Turkish first lady reflects on Srebrenica Genocide, calls it 'shameful chapter in human history'

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan reflected on the Srebrenica genocide on its 29th anniversary, calling it a "shameful chapter in human history."

"I once again condemn the Srebrenica genocide, which enslaved the Bosnian lands to sorrow and tears, as a shameful chapter in human history, on its 29th anniversary," she stated on X. "I remember our Bosnian brothers and sisters who were taken from us and sincerely share the pain of their families and loved ones left behind."

Türkiye officially declared July 11 as the "International Day of Reflection and Remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide" according to a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday.

- The Srebrenica Genocide

In the spring of 1993, the UN Security Council declared Srebrenica a "safe area." However, Serb troops led by Gen. Ratko Mladic, who was later found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, overran the UN-protected zone.

Dutch troops responsible for safeguarding people in the UN zone failed to act when Serb forces occupied it on July 11, killing 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 across the country, including 77 mass graves.

In 2007, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that genocide was committed in Srebrenica.

Efforts to locate the missing victims of the genocide have continued, with identified remains buried at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery in a ceremony held every year on July 11. To date, 6,751 victims have been buried in the Potocari Memorial Cemetery, with 250 victims buried in local cemeteries at the request of their families. More than a thousand victims remain missing.

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.

This year's anniversary will see 14 more identified and approved genocide victims buried at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery.