Turkish minister inaugurate historic bridge in Bosnia

Two Turkish ministers inaugurated a restored Ottoman-era bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. State Ministers Faruk Celik and Faruk Nafiz Ozak participated in the inauguration of the Konjic Bridge, near the capital of Sarajevo. The Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) funded the reconstruction, which cost some €2 million. The city of Konjic was annexed to the territory of the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1463. The bridge was constructed over the River Neretva at the order of Sultan Mehmet IV in 1682. The 82-meter-long bridge was heavily damaged during World War II. President Abdullah Gul participated in a ceremony held on Sept. 10, 2007 to begin the renovation.