Turkish vice president draws attention to war's destruction on cultural heritage

ANKARA

Turkiye’s vice president drew attention Wednesday to the destruction caused by the ongoing Russian war on Ukraine to cultural heritage.

The devastation witnessed in our region, which is the cradle of the first civilizations of mankind, is heart-breaking, Fuat Oktay said in an award ceremony held by the Culture and Tourism Ministry at the Presidential Complex in the nation’s capital of Ankara.

Drawing attention also to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the Syrian civil war that started in 2011 that saw the deaths of an unknown number of civilians and the destruction of thousands of years-old historical sites, Oktay called the ongoing Russian war on Ukraine a multifaceted tragedy.

It destroys not only lives but the cultural heritage, he said.

“We are doing our best to end this tragedy as soon as possible,” said Oktay, noting that Turkiye has been conducting a vigorous diplomatic campaign to end the war before it causes more destruction of people, the environment and cultural heritage.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which began Feb. 24, has met international outrage with the EU, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 977 civilians have been killed and 1,594 injured in Ukraine since Russia began its attack on its western neighbor last month, according to UN estimates.

More than 3.62 million people have fled to neighboring countries, UN High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk