Turkish Fm Attends Auschwitz-Birkenau Commemorations

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attended Tuesday the 70th Auschwitz-Birkenau commemorations in Krakow, Poland's second largest city. 



Official delegations from around 40 nations paid their respects on the anniversary of prisoners being freed from the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps that were established in Poland by the Nazi regime.



Reiterating that one million people were brutally killed seven decades ago, Cavusoglu said the aim in attending the commemoration ceremony was "to give the message that there is no place for such incidents anymore."



The Turkish foreign minister, in an earlier statement, said, "We once again respectfully commemorate the millions of innocent people who lost their lives, primarily the Jews, and convey our condolences to their relatives."



Turkey has been participating in the activities of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance as an observer country since 2008; three years after the United Nations General Assembly established an International Holocaust Remembrance Day. 



The Turkish foreign minister also pointed to the deaths in Syria and said there are still some events today which are similar to those before World War II. 



Stating that over 200,000 Syrians have been killed by the regime "using every method including chemical weapons," Cavusoglu stressed the need to fight against terror, as well as racism, extremism, intolerance and separatism. 



He voiced his expectation for a permanent solution in Syria and concern at the lack of willingness of the international community to share the pain of the victims. 



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ankara