Foreign Minister Spokesman Öncü Keçeli (AA Photo)
Türkiye has condemned “attempts to glorify” convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic at his funeral in Belgrade, warning that they deepened the suffering of victims and damaged reconciliation efforts in the Balkans.
In a written statement on a question about the controversial funeral of Mladic in Serbia, Foreign Minister Spokesman Öncü Keçeli on Sept. 8 stressed that “the exploitation of the funeral ceremony of 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.”
“The rejection of these judicial decisions or any attempt to glorify convicted perpetrators 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,” Keçeli stated.
What the Balkans require is the construction of a peaceful, prosperous and shared future, founded upon the necessary lessons drawn from the past, the ministry spokesman recalled.
“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,” he added.
Although the ceremony was not formally designated a state funeral, his coffin was carried by soldiers and he was buried with military honors. Several Serbian government ministers were also present.
The European Union separately condemned the public glorification of Mladic, saying the glorification of war criminals, genocide denial and historical revisionism were incompatible with fundamental European values and had no place in the bloc or its candidate countries.
Separately, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sept. 8 the presence of Serbian officials at the funeral of Mladic was “deeply regrettable.”
“The elements of official support and the presence of some senior Serbian officials at the funeral are deeply regrettable,” the pair said in a statement on social media, adding that the images from the funeral were “shocking.”
Mladic died in The Hague on Aug. 27 at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted him in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
His convictions and life sentence were upheld on appeal in 2021.
