QA-8, 21 February 2019, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hami Aksoy, in Response to a Question Regarding the Commemoration Ceremony Held on the Anniversary of the “Struma” Incident

The Struma vessel, carrying Jewish refugees fleeing the persecution of Nazis and their allies during the Second World War, was torpedoed in the international waters of the Black Sea on 24 February 1942, resulting in deaths of 768 people.

A ceremony was hosted by the Governorship of Istanbul with the support of the Turkish Jewish Community on 21 February 2019 to commemorate this tragic incident for the fifth time since 2015.

We commemorate in sorrow all those who lost their lives in the Struma vessel in the hope of fleeing the Holocaust 77 years ago.