On April 6, Turkey joined a global condemnation of the murder of civilians in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities, calling for an independent investigation. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “the images of the massacre, which have been published in the press from various regions including Bucha and Irpin near Kyiv, are appalling and sad for humanity.”
Turkey’s first official response
Apart from a tweet from the Turkish embassy in Ukraine on Monday, it was Turkey’s first official response to the discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves or littering the streets near Kyiv over the weekend. The Kremlin has dismissed accusations that Russian forces killed civilians near Kyiv, claiming that images of bodies were “fakes.”
After Russian forces withdrew, the Ukrainian army retook control of Bucha, a key commuter town outside of Kyiv, and said it had discovered dozens of bodies. In response to the deaths, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the killings “war crimes” and “genocide,” and Western countries have increased sanctions against Russia.
The Kremlin, on the other hand, has denied the allegations, claiming that the images emerging from Bucha and other towns are either fakes created by Ukrainian forces or that the deaths occurred after Russian troops withdrew. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated, “Targeting innocent civilians is unacceptable.”
“Our main expectation is that an independent investigation will be conducted and that those responsible will be identified and held accountable.” Turkey said it would continue to work to prevent “such shameful scenes in the name of humanity.” Turkey, a NATO member with strong ties to both Russia and Ukraine, has been contemplating a resolution to the conflict.