The statement comes on the occasion of the International Day Commemorating Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, which was declared by the UN General Assembly in 2019.

The Ministry underlined that racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes that are committed on this basis but tolerated in some countries on the grounds of freedom of expression, constitute one of the greatest threats to social peace and harmony and universal democratic values.

The Ministry said that Islamophobia, one of the most common forms of racism and xenophobia today, has reached such a level that Muslims all over the world are exposed to hate speech, attacks and insults to their sacred values.

The Ministry emphasized that past experiences have shown that racism, xenophobia and hate speech can lead to acts of violence and terrorism if necessary steps are not taken in a timely manner and effective complaint and follow-up mechanisms are not established by reviewing legal regulations.

The Ministry called on the international community to unite its efforts around a common will to effectively combat these tendencies and actions that violate the essence of human rights and fundamental freedoms and affect not only the groups they target, but all segments of society.

Türkiye, which pioneers and contributes effectively to the initiatives and processes carried out for this purpose in international platforms, will resolutely continue its struggle with all aspects of this problem, including addressing the main reasons behind the aforementioned actions. In this regard, Türkiye is ready to cooperate with all countries and organizations that want to contribute to finding a solution to this problem.

The Ministry concluded by strongly condemning all racist acts and hate crimes based on religion or belief, expressing once again its solidarity with the victims of these acts, and extending its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of such acts. (ILKHA)