SREBRENICA / AA

Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas read President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's message during an event to mark the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, describing it as "one of the biggest stains on our modern history."

This came during Goktas's participation in the commemoration ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of the massacre committed by Serbian forces in 1995 in the town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, which resulted in the brutal killing of more than 8,000 Bosnian civilians.

Goktas read President Erdogan's message during the event held at the old battery factory used as a base by UN forces in the Srebrenica area during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

President Erdogan's message said: "On the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, which is one of the biggest stains on our modern history, I remember with mercy our Bosnian brothers who were brutally killed despite the commitments and security guarantees provided by the international community."

In his message, President Erdogan expressed condolences on behalf of the Turkish people to the Bosnians, quoting the late Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic: "Do whatever you want, but do not forget the genocide, because genocide that is forgotten is repeated."

He also noted the establishment of the "Museum for the Remembrance of the Victims of the Srebrenica Genocide," which was opened last year with support from Turkey.

The Turkish president highlighted extensive contacts and initiatives at both bilateral and multilateral levels to contribute to maintaining peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of preventing such a crime from recurring anywhere in the world.

He added: "However, the tragedy that claimed the lives of 73,000 innocent people in Gaza, most of them children and women, unfortunately shows that the international community has not yet learned the necessary lessons from Srebrenica."

Erdogan said: "We will continue our relentless efforts, under the slogan 'the world is bigger than five,' for a more just world and a more responsible international community, so that no criminal dares to target civilians."

He stressed that the security and stability of the Balkans cannot be conceived independently of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He affirmed Turkey's continued unconditional support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for fostering dialogue and comprehensive consensus among all components of society there.

He concluded his message by saying: "I pray to Almighty God to bestow mercy on our Bosniak brothers who were martyred in the Srebrenica massacre, and I bow with respect and reverence before their blessed memory."

On the 31st anniversary of the genocide, 10 victims whose identities were confirmed with family consent will be buried at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery.

After today's ceremony, the number of victims buried in the memorial cemetery will rise to 6,782.

- Srebrenica massacre

The Srebrenica massacre is considered the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945), as Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica sought refuge with Dutch soldiers on July 11, 1995, after Serbian forces under the command of Ratko Mladic captured the town.

However, the Dutch forces, which were part of UN troops, handed them back to the Serbian forces, who then committed a massacre in which more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were killed.

Serbian forces also committed numerous massacres against Muslims during the Bosnian War, which began in 1992 and ended in 1995 following the signing of the Dayton Agreement, resulting in the killing of more than 300,000 people according to UN figures.

The Serbs buried the Bosnian victims in mass graves, and after the war, Bosnia launched efforts to search for the missing and exhume the bodies of the dead from mass graves to identify them.

Bosnian authorities have traditionally reburied a group of identified victims at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery on July 11 each year.