QA-2, 24 February 2023, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Tanju Bilgiç, in Response to a Question Regarding the Commemoration Ceremony to Be Held on the Anniversary of the “Struma” Tragedy

The Struma vessel, carrying Jewish refugees fleeing the persecution of the Nazi regime under the conditions of the Second World War, was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine and sunk in the international waters of the Black Sea on 24 February 1942, resulting in deaths of 768 innocent people.

We will commemorate with respect those who lost their lives in this tragic incident that occured 81 years ago with a ceremony to be held in Istanbul today.