Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, that the whole world is going through a test of humanity and sincerity.

“Today we commemorate the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, which left a black stain in the history of mankind,” said Erdogan in a video message broadcast at the commemoration in Potocari, which was announced by Turkey's Minister of Justice Yilmaz Tunc, the country's representative at this year's commemoration.

On this sad day, Erdogan said, “Once again, in my name and in the name of my people, I express my sincere condolences to the bereaved families of our martyrs and to all our Bosniak brothers and sisters.”

He emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of the wisdom and bitter truth in the words of the late Alija Izetbegovic, the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a great statesman with great ideas and actions, who said: “Whatever you do, do not forget the genocide, because the genocide that is forgotten will be repeated!'”

“We will not forget Srebrenica and we will not allow it to be forgotten so that a similar crime is not repeated anywhere in the world,” Erdogan said and added:

“I pray that the souls of our martyrs may rest in peace and be in heaven. I am asking the dear God to honour all our martyrs with his paradise and his beauty. We are aware that the pain of our mothers and sisters who lost their loved ones in Srebrenica is as fresh as the day the genocide happened. I ask dear God to grant patience to the families of our martyrs and our Bosniak brothers and sisters who experience renewed pain every July 11.”

– Those responsible for the barbarism in Gaza will answer sooner or later –

The Turkish President also recalled the Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

“As you know, the Resolution declaring July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica, one of the co-submitters of which was Turkey, was passed at the United Nations General Assembly on May 23. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to all stages of this decision, from its preparation to its adoption. We believe that this decision should serve as an example so that the darkness similar to the genocide in Srebrenica is not repeated anywhere in the world,” Erdogan said.

He also recalled the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory.

“However, today the Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories are exposed to crimes similar to those experienced in Srebrenica 29 years ago. International institutions and organizations are only observing the murder of around 40 thousand innocent people, including 16 thousand children, as they did 29 years ago,” Erdogan said with the message that the whole world is going through a test of humanity and sincerity.

“Those who are responsible for the barbarism in Gaza will sooner or later answer to international law, just like in Srebrenica. Turkey will continue to do its best to ensure that justice is served and that the perpetrators of the genocide are held accountable,” the Turkish president said.

– “We expect local authorities to protect returnees” –

Erdogan expressed regret for the denial of the Srebrenica genocide and the glorifficatrion of war criminals.

“Here, once again, I want to express my regret for the existence of those who continue to deny the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and glorify war criminals, despite the verdicts of international courts. We also observe with concern the attacks and mistreatment of people who returned to their homes after the war. We expect the local authorities to do their part so that every citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regardless of ethnicity, feels safe where they live,” Erdogan said.

In order to maintain lasting peace and stability in BiH Erdogan said all kinds of hate speech must be completely abandoned and “we must look for ways to spread the culture of peace, tolerance and reconciliation.”

“It is our sincere wish that an internal consensus prevails in Bosnia and Herzegovina that will include all segments. Everyone should keep in mind that no one will benefit from conflict and tension,” he said.

Turkey will continue to do its best to transform Bosnia into a place of stability, peace and prosperity.

“We will always continue to provide our unconditional support to the territorial integrity, political unity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We want your hearts to feel at peace. Concluding my words with these thoughts, I want to once again wish God's mercy to our Srebrenica martyrs and respectfully bow to their memory,” Erdogan concluded in his video message address at the commemoration in Potocari, where 14 more victims of the Srebrenica genocide will be buried today.