Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman says Mladic funeral equal to war crimes denial

"The exploitation of the funeral ceremony of Ratko Mladic, conclusively convicted by international tribunals of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, in a manner that amounts to denial of the grave crimes committed and the human suffering endured, is unacceptable,"a written statement said.

It said that rejecting the verdicts and attempts at glorifying the convicted war criminals."exacerbates the suffering of victims and their families, while undermining the sustained efforts pursued over many years to achieve peace and reconciliation in the region".

According to the spokesman, the Balkans require the construction of a peaceful, prosperous and shared future, based on the lessons drawn from the past.

"On this occasion, we once again solemnly commemorate all innocent people who lost their lives during the Bosnian War, in particular the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, and we share in the grief of their families," the statement said.