Turkish Press
July 1 2005
Turkey Calls On European Statesmen To Fulfil Their Duties Regarding
Genocide Committed In Bosnia
ANKARA – Huseyin Kansu, the Chairman of the Turkey-Bosnia-Herzegovina
Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Friday called on European
statesmen to fulfil their responsibilities regarding the genocide
committed in Bosnia.
Holding a press conference in Turkish capital of Ankara on the 10th
anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, Kansu said that 312,000
people lost their lives in Bosnia-Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995
according to the figures of International Red Cross Organization.
Stating that 200,000 of this 312,000 people were Bosnians, Kansu said
that this nation were subject to a series of massacres before the
eyes of the world.
Kansu recalled that one of the worst massacres were conducted by the
Serbians in Srebrenica, and said, ”Srebrenica and Jepa regions were
declared as security areas under the UN Security Council resolutions
no 819 and 824. This region was taken under the control and
protection of UN from April 1993 till July 1995, when the genocide
was committed. But, the UN did not fulfil its responsibilities.”
”Serbian forces in Bosnia took Srebrenica, declared as a security
area by the UN and protected by Dutch soldiers, under siege between
July 6th and 8th, 1995, and left children, women and elderly people
hungry and thirsty. When the Serbian violence began, Muslim Bosnian
warriors wanted back the weapons they handed over to the Dutch
soldiers in order to respond to the massacre, but the Dutch rejected
it and laid the groundwork for Serbian massacre,” said Kansu.
Kansu stated that the Serbians started mass massacre on July 11th,
and said that the Serbian forces killed 7,800 people. He noted that
the death toll could rise to 13,000 if 30 mass graves were opened.
EU
Noting that he did not know how the crisis the EU was facing today
could be concluded, Kansu said that Europe would have to face its own
past one day.
Stating that no legal procedure had been launched regarding those who
were responsible for the Srebrenica massacre although 10 years
passed, Kansu asked, ”who will ask for an explanation from the
European politicians who stayed silent to the genocide in Bosnia and
indirectly laid the groundwork for this massacre?”
Kansu also drew attention that Europe was staying silent against the
genocide committed in Bosnia as it tried to accuse Turkey of a
so-called Armenian genocide, without basing on serious evidence, but
totally basing on prejudices.
200 intellectuals and representatives of NGOs from Turkey would
attend the ceremony to be held in Srebrenica on July 11th, added
Kansu.