Stability and peace in southeast Europe were discussed thoroughly, as well as the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ukraine-Russia war, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday, reiterating Türkiye's support for the Balkans region.
“Türkiye closely follows developments in Balkans and continues to make its contributions,” Erdoğan said during a joint press conference with his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanovic.
Erdoğan on Thursday was welcomed with an official ceremony in Croatia's capital Zagreb, the last stop of his three-nation Balkan tour.
Erdoğan said that he came with a large Turkish delegation as the two countries celebrate this year 30 years of diplomatic ties.
Saying that both countries enjoy deep historical and cultural ties, the Turkish President said that Türkiye and Croatia showed solidarity in difficult times. “Türkiye and Croatia are allied countries with strong cultural ties even though they do not have common borders.”
Bilateral ties in all their aspects were discussed during the one-on-one meeting, while three agreements were signed. The two leaders also touched upon the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia as well as the upcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Erdoğan said that “Dayton is to blame for the recent tensions. Dayton has not been a deal aiming for a solution." He added that the three leaders of the three ethnic entities in the country have to find an agreement among themselves.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has once again loomed into chaos with the claims that High Representative Christian Schmidt, tasked with overseeing a 1995 peace agreement for Bosnia, has been imposing an amendment to the election law for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH).
Schmidt's plan to reportedly impose an election law without the consent of the politicians led to protests across the country.
The threat prompted the political leaders of the country’s three main ethnic groups – Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats – to accuse Schmidt of planning changes that would undermine their constituencies.
The U.S.-brokered Dayton Agreement that ended Bosnia’s brutal 1992-95 interethnic war gave broad powers to the high representative, including imposing laws and dismissing officials and civil servants who undermine Bosnia's fragile post-war ethnic balance.
Amending the country’s constitution and voting laws have been under discussion in Bosnia since 2009 when the European Court of Human Rights condemned the country for barring ethnic minorities from running for the highest offices in government. So far, no changes have been made.
The peace agreement established two separate governing entities in the country — one run by Bosnia’s Serbs and another one dominated by Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslims, and Croats.
The two entities are linked by joint institutions and all actions taken at a national level must be reached by consensus of the three ethnic groups.
Bosnia's constitution, which was part of the Dayton Agreement, and its electoral law currently state that only members of the three main ethnic groups are eligible to stand for election to either the shared presidency or the upper house of the central parliament. Members of ethnic minorities that have existed in the country for centuries can't run for those offices unless they identify with one of the main groups.
Instead of changing the law and the constitution, the nationalist leaders of the country’s main ethnic communities have been using the process to further stoke ethnic divisions, demand special protections for their peoples and blame each other for trying to disenfranchise members of other groups.
Erdoğan was also expected to inaugurate the Islamic Culture Center in the central city of Sisak. Furthermore, after the wreath-laying ceremony at the Homeland Monument in Zagreb, Erdoğan was to receive Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and attend the Türkiye-Croatia Business Forum and official dinner hosted by Milanovic.
Erdoğan on Tuesday started his three-nation Balkan tour with Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by Serbia.
The Balkans is a priority for Türkiye not only for political, economic and geographical reasons but also for its historical, cultural and human ties with the region.
Türkiye has, in recent years, ramped up its presence in the Balkans, both politically and economically. Mainly Muslim Bosniak communities in Bosnia and Serbia have close relations with Ankara, while Turkish companies have increased investment in infrastructure projects throughout the region.
