Turkey condoles with Rwanda on genocide anniversary

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey on Wednesday offered condolences to Rwanda on the 27th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, which killed more than a million people in a span of 100 days.

"On the 27th Anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi, we remember once again with deep sorrow one of the worst atrocities in the recent history of mankind, which took place in the Republic of Rwanda in 1994 where more than 1 million people were systematically and brutally murdered," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that it "sincerely shares the pain" of the "friendly" people of Rwanda.

Turkey "follows with appreciation" the achievements of the East African country in ensuring social peace and national unity as well as economic and social development since 1994, the statement said.

It also recalled that the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was established with the UN Security Council Resolution in 1994, and since 1995 the court convicted 62 people who "seriously" violated international humanitarian law.

The statement underlined that the UN General Assembly, through resolutions dated Dec. 23, 2003, and Jan. 26, 2018, announced April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

"Turkey, opposing all kinds of crimes against humanity, racism, xenophobia and extremist ideologies, will continue to fight resolutely for preventing the recurrence of similar calamities in the future, in solidarity with the countries sharing the same values," the ministry said.

It went on to say that Turkey emphasizes the importance of the cooperation of the international community against all kinds of discrimination and hate speech that threaten international peace and security.

"We also underline the importance of international collaboration for implementing ICTR decisions and for bringing fugitive genocide criminals before justice."