Erdoğan calls on international community to take action on crimes against humanity

The world should step up to say "stop" to Islamophobia and xenophobia which have multiplied in recent years through the use of digital platforms, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday.

His remarks came in a video message released on the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"The International community should take action so that tragedies such as the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Cambodia do not recur," he said.

Erdoğan said that humanity is going through a difficult period, adding that the "racism virus" has become increasingly widespread along with the pandemic.

He underlined that there is a "serious increase" in acts of violence on places of worship, such as mosques, synagogues, and churches.

"Hate crimes against some segments of society with different ethnic identities, religions, language, and appearances have been increasing day by day."

Racist terrorism has turned into a security threat that undermines social peace and people's will to live together, Erdoğan said.

"The signs of the Holocaust, the Bosnian, Rwandan, and Cambodian genocides, in which millions of people lost their lives, were evident with systematic discrimination, marginalization, and rising hate speech long before these massacres," he said.

He emphasized that all these genocides serve as a reminder to the international community to fight against all kinds of discrimination and prevent crimes against humanity.

"It is far beyond being a mere moral attitude that should be adopted by every state, but also a contractual obligation under the 1948 UN Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide."

Erdoğan said that each and every international organization, government, media, politician, civil society, religious group, and opinion leader has "essential roles" to play in this context.

Turkey has been making efforts in this regard on international platforms, particularly the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative.

"Likewise, with the open-door policy we implement, we protect everyone who takes refuge in our country regardless of their beliefs, language, and origin," the president said.

"On this occasion, I respectfully remember the memories of the victims of the genocide and hope for a future where all kinds of discrimination will end, and crimes against humanity will not be experienced," Erdoğan concluded.

TURKEY MARKS INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

Turkey commemorated the millions of people who lost their lives in the Holocaust on Wednesday.

"On this day, we remember with respect 11 million victims of the Holocaust, including 6 million Jews, the Roma people and the disabled persons, who were systematically and brutally murdered by the Nazi regime and its collaborators," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We once again honor the memories of the Turkish diplomats who extended a helping hand to victims fleeing the atrocities," the statement added.

The statement said Turkey has been participating in the activities of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) as an observer country since 2008.

IHRA was established with the aim of researching the Holocaust thoroughly, remembering the sufferings of its victims as well as passing this awareness to new generations, it added.

"Despite the unprecedented grim reality of the Holocaust, we observe with concern a global rise in hate speech and crimes as well as the still existing discriminatory ideologies of Antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia," it added.

In line with Turkey's policy of helping out vulnerable communities, the ministry said: "Today, our doors remain open to those fleeing violence and we continue to provide protection to millions of people."

Ankara called upon the international community to prioritize humanitarian principles for the prevention of the recurrence of past tragedies.

Jan. 27 is designated by the UN as the Holocaust Remembrance Day.