ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday marked the 22nd anniversary of the passing of Alija Izetbegovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina's first president, who led the country to independence from the former Yugoslavia.

"I commemorate with mercy and longing the wise leader Alija Izetbegovic, the first president of our friend and brother Bosnia-Herzegovina, who won hearts with his nobility, character, and exemplary stance; who defended his nation's rights and laws with great courage; on the 22nd anniversary of his passing," Erdogan said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

Izetbegovic, a politician, writer, and lawyer, who came to international prominence during the country's bitter 1992-1995 war, is commemorated every year on the anniversary of his passing.

Often dubbed the "Wise King," Izetbegovic is one of the most important Muslim thinkers of the last century.

The first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina managed to gain independence for his country on March 1, 1992, months after Slovenia and Croatia broke off from the former Yugoslavia.

He died in Sarajevo on Oct. 19, 2003, due to natural causes, having served as the president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992-1996, and as chairman of the Bosnian presidency until October 2000.