President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended and delivered a speech at the program organized for the 14^thanniversary commemoration of the passing of Alija Izetbegovi?.

Recalling that late Izetbegovi? was a thinker who was imprisoned at a young age and was a man of heart who had Bosnia in one half of his heart and the whole Islamic world in the other half, President Erdoğan said: "Because Alija was not exclusively a politician, a thinker or a man of action. Alija was the combination of all of these and beyond," and added "With his work 'The Islamic Declaration' written in the gloomy atmosphere of the 1970s, Alija is the embodiment of self-confidence rising up like the Igman Mountain. He was a brave soldier in the battlefield, a compassionate father for his family, a precious friend of his friends and a wise leader who brought independence for his nation."

Protect Bosnia and look out for Bosnia

Recounting his memory of visiting Alija Izetbegovi? in the hospital the day before he passed away as he was returning to Turkey from an official visit to Austria in 2003, President Erdoğan said that Alija Izetbegovi? said: "This place is the heritage of Ottomans, protect my Bosnia, and look out for my Bosnia". Expressing that he commemorates Alija with this trust, President Erdoğan added, "If Allah permits, we shall continue to protect and uplift Bosnia together with our brothers and sisters there."

"Izetbegovi?'s greatest work is Bosnia and his most important heritage is his dignity"

President Erdoğan, described late Alija Izetbegovi? with the following remarks: "Of course it is not easy to describe such a sophisticated person with a few words. For me, Alija Izetbegovi?'s greatest work is Bosnia and his most important heritage is his dignity. Every attitude and discourse of Alija carried a combination of dignity, confidence, and modesty which are peculiar to Muslims. Alija put up the fight of being a Muslim, remaining a Muslim and living as a Muslim beginning from his youth under the oppression of the communist regime to his last breath at the age of 78. He never gave up on his faith, his civilization and his identity as a Bosnian." (ILKHA)