Turkey strongly condemns the intentional destruction and attacks perpetrated against mosques and mausoleums in Timbuktu city of Mali, which are registered in UNESCO World Heritage List and are of importance in terms of Islamic civilization and our historical and cultural heritage, by some forces controlling the region.

Furthermore, Turkey is also concerned about the fate of the scientific and religious historical manuscripts in Timbuktu.

Turkey, being open to cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels for the protection of historical and cultural heritage in Timbuktu, welcomes the statements of the Government of Mali as well as international and regional organizations such as UN, UNESCO, OIC and African Union for the immediate cease of the said destruction.

In this regard, Turkey welcomes the decision adopted by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in St. Petersburg on 28 June 2012, for the registration of Timbuktu on the “List of World Heritage in Danger”.

Turkey calls on all the relevant parties for adopting a more responsible attitude regarding the protection of Timbuktu, which has special importance for our history and is considered as one of the great Islamic cultural centers with its three historical mosques and mausoleums and also hosts thousands of manuscripts from the pre-Islamic period, and concerning the stability and security of Mali.