Turkey strongly condems destruction of Islamic Timbuktu heritage

Turkey has strongly condemned destruction by extremists of the Islamic heritage in the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, calling on Malian government and relevant sides to what it said "act responsibly" in preserving the ancient site. Extremists continued to destroy the site, razing tombs and attacking the gate of a 600-year-old mosque, despite growing international outcry. The International Criminal Court has described the destruction of the city's patrimony as a possible war crime, while UNESCO's committee on world heritage was holding a special session this week to address the pillaging of the site, one of the few cultural sites in sub-Saharan Africa that is listed by the agency. A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said Turkey strongly condemns deliberate destruction and attacks by forces controlling the region. The Islamic faction, known as Ansar Dine, or "Protectors of the Faith," seized control of Timbuktu last week after ousting the Tuareg rebel faction that had invaded northern Mali alongside Ansar Dine's soldiers three months ago. Over the weekend, fighters descended on the cemeteries holding the remains of Timbuktu's Sufi saints, and systematically began destroying the six most famous tombs. Among the tombs they destroyed is that of Sidi Mahmoudou, a saint who died in 955, according to the UNESCO website. In addition, on Monday they set upon one of the doors of the Sidi Yahya, a mosque built around 1400. Local legend held that the gate leading to the cemetery would only open on the final day at the end of time. Noting that Turkey is open to bilateral and multilateral cooperation with international bodies with the goal of protecting the historical and cultural heritage in Timbuktu, Turkey welcomed condemnation by Mali government, UN, UNESCO, Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and African Union. The UN cultural agency has called for an immediate halt to the destruction of the sacred tombs. Irina Bokova, who heads the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, reported in a statement issued Saturday that the centuries-old mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar and Alpha Moya had been destroyed. Meeting in St. Petersburg in Russia, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, last week placed the mausoleums on its list of sites in danger due to earlier attacks by the Islamists, said UNESCO spokesman Rony Amelan. On Monday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland condemned the destruction, telling reporters in Washington that the United States calls on all groups to enter into a ceasefire. For years before the north of Mali became a base for an offshoot of al-Qaeda, Timbuktu was a must-see for backpackers and package tour groups. Much of the city thrived on tourism, from young men who memorized the history of the tombs and details of the ancient manuscripts to in order to act as tour guides to the numerous hotels, nearly all of which are now shuttered. The statement added that Turkey is also concerned over the fate of scientific and religious manuscripts in the site. Scholars held out hope that the extremists would not also attack the city's 20,000-catalogued manuscripts, some dating as far back as the 12th century. Beyond the tombs, the manuscripts are considered to be the real treasure of the region and library owners have succeeded in spiriting some of the manuscripts out of the city, or else buried them in secure locations.