Türkiye has condemned Serbia's decision to hold a mass public funeral ceremony for convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia" for his role in the genocide against Bosnian Muslims, calling it "unacceptable."
"It is unacceptable for the funeral ceremony of Ratko Mladic, who was convicted by international courts in final judgments for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, to be exploited in a manner that amounts to denying the grave crimes committed and the human suffering endured," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Tuesday.
"Rejecting the relevant court judgments or attempting to portray convicted perpetrators as heroes deepens the pain of victims and their families, while also undermining the longstanding efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in the region," Keçeli added.
He underlined the need for the Balkans to learn from the past and work together to build a peaceful, prosperous and shared future, while honoring those who lost their lives during the Bosnian War.
He concluded his remarks by paying tribute to all innocent victims of the conflict, with particular emphasis on those killed in the Srebrenica genocide and expressed solidarity with their families.
Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, died in The Hague on Aug. 27 at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
He was convicted of crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, including genocide for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were killed.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic offered to organize his burial in Serbia.
