Šaljić disappointed: No officials attended the commemoration of the murder of Hakija Turajlić, he did not deserve this

(Patria) - In the courtyard of the Alipašina Mosque in Sarajevo yesterday, the 31st anniversary of the murder of the Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hakija Turajlić, was marked.

By laying flowers and reciting the Fatiha, family members, friends, and fellow citizens paid tribute to Turajlić, who was killed on January 8, 1993.

Jasmin Šaljić, a representative of the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton, says it is unbelievable and inexplicable that no officials were present at the commemoration of the anniversary.

"Although next to the courtyard of the Alipašina Mosque are the institutions of the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government and Assembly of the Canton, and the Centar Municipality.

None of the representatives of institutions and employees, officials, parliamentarians, politicians, activists, representatives of political parties, or NGOs attended the anniversary of the death of the Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hakija Turajlić.

Neither in the courtyard, nor at the site of the murder in Kasindolska Street. Present were the family, his wife Jasmina, and workers from Energoinvest.

Among sports workers, on behalf of the Boxing Association, Hamid Guska. And we have a boxing tournament 'Hakija Turajlić', an international one. Representatives of boxing clubs, as well as officials, nowhere.

The Turajlić family looked at me with disbelief when I introduced myself and said I had come as a representative in the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton to pay tribute to the Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The late Turajlić was killed at a checkpoint near the turn into today's Kasindolska Street. He had gone to welcome a delegation from the Republic of Turkey that was delivering aid in food and medicine for the residents of Sarajevo. He was stopped and held for about 90 minutes in a French armored personnel carrier.

In a conversation with his wife, who learned the details of that fateful day, she told me that during those 90 minutes, a British armored personnel carrier passed by them twice and asked if they had any problems.

All the time they were locked inside, until, for a still undetermined reason, a French officer opened the door of the armored personnel carrier from the inside. At that moment, Hakija Turajlić was killed.

The case has never been resolved, nor has the responsibility of the French peacekeeping forces been documented.

There are many factors leading to such neglect; one of the key ones is the calendar of commemorations published back in 2006.

The calendar of commemorations of significant dates and events of the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton has long been ripe for a thorough change and supplementation.

I will submit a representative initiative at the Assembly session to the Coordination of Veterans' and Civil Associations, to the Ministry for Veterans' Affairs, the Commission for Veterans' Affairs, and the Commission for Commemorating Significant Dates and Events, to make thorough changes and additions to the calendar that will come from the field, with the participation of all municipal and cantonal veterans' organizations.

It is not only Hakija Turajlić that is problematic in the calendar, but also the manner of commemoration and the bearers of activities. The merits of Smajo Šikala are not only related to Sokolje, or Vinko Šamarlić only to Hrasno brdo, Ramiz Salčin to Mojmilo, Enver Šehović to elevation 850 on Žuč. These people have done much more for the city and the state.

At the very least, the bearer of the activity must be Sarajevo Canton. The anniversaries of the special police unit of the MUP and the 'Lasta' unit on July 27 on Žuč, Otes '92, Zamo Dučić, Magoda, Pobrić, etc., have been omitted.

Sarajevo Canton cherishes the anniversaries of civilian war victims but simultaneously avoids military commemorations, anniversaries of brigades, anniversaries of the aforementioned commanders, for reasons I do not know. This must change.

We will change it; I have the consent of the coordination of veterans' associations of Sarajevo Canton, as well as municipal veterans' and civil associations," Šaljić stated on his Facebook profile.