Bosnian Serb leader's radicalized rhetoric fuels fears of political turmoil in Bosnia: Sarajevo's foreign minister

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer

ANKARA (AA) - The radicalized rhetoric recently used by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has revived the fear of political turmoil in Bosnia, warned the foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bisera Turkovic shared her thoughts with Anadolu on relations between Türkiye and Bosnia-Herzegovina, her country being granted European Union membership candidacy, the roadmap towards NATO and EU membership, and the recent celebration of the anniversary of the founding of Republika Srpska, the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in defiance of a ruling by the country’s top court.

On the Jan. 9 celebration of the anniversary of Republika Srpska’s founding in defiance of Bosnia’s Constitutional Court ruling, Turkovic said: "We are very concerned. Particularly the citizens of (the capital) Sarajevo are very concerned."

"It’s not good at a time when the new government is being formed when everybody is talking about finding the lowest possible denominator to go ahead," she said.

Bosnian Serbs consider Jan. 9 to be their state's most important holiday. In 2015, however, Bosnia's Constitutional Court ruled that celebrating Republika Srpska Statehood Day could be discriminatory to other ethnic groups in the country.

Dodik took a radical approach, Turkovic said, adding: "All those signs in rhetoric coming are showing that he's not changing, and that actually he is becoming more and more radical and whatever you try, whatever concession you give him, he does not respect it. He wants more."

Criticizing the international community’s lack of a serious response to this situation, she said: "We all are preaching about equality. We all are preaching about the protection of human rights, but it is only inverting when you look at what is happening. The reaction is missing. And it is very dangerous."

Stressing the difficulties of this situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she said: "I think that we are entering into a very dangerous fear, and the more you let Dodik do what he wants, he's not correcting his attitude. He's going further and further."

Touching on how a Bosnian Croat politician, Borjana Kristo, who was assigned to form the government, will follow a path to NATO and EU membership, she said: "We do not know what is going to happen. But what is obvious in a short period of time before the government is formed is that they are really not conditioning the coalition with the fulfillment of obligations that are arising from preconditions which are set for candidate status in the EU, and also, I see many discrepancies in their attitude toward NATO."

- Candidate status for EU membership

Candidate status presents a "very important step forward" in Bosnia's recent history, Turkovic said, adding it would be "much better if that happened before the election because it will give the signal to people where they see their destiny and where they are heading to."

EU leaders approved the decision at a summit in Brussels following a recommendation by the European Commission in October last year and voting in the European Council and General Affairs Council in December.

Expressing her gratefulness to all countries that contributed to her country's candidate status, she noted "however, it is just the beginning. We have 14 preconditions to fulfill."

Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were held on Oct. 2 to choose lawmakers at the canton, entity, and national levels as well as the three members of its Presidential Council. Following a recount, Dodik was declared the winner of the presidency of the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"So I hope that the new government will work as hard as we did. I'm certain that they are going to achieve results under the condition that they really devote the time and efforts to try to bring us closer to the European Union,” she added.

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina was established by the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian War in 1995. It consists of two Bosniaks, two Serbs, two Croats and three foreign judges and its decisions are legally binding.

- Excellent bond between Ankara and Sarajevo

"During my tenure, I think that we’ve had an excellent relationship, but not only during my tenure, I think the last 30 years … Relations between the two countries are really excellent and especially in the last period, during the tenure of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and of course the time of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Turkovic said.

Hailing Türkiye's stance toward Bosnia and Herzegovina and the surrounding region, she said the Turkish president and foreign minister contributed "a lot towards building peace and stability in the Western Balkans, helping not only Bosnia and Herzegovina but all other (regional) countries to harmonize."

Touching on the bond between Turkish and Bosnian people, she said: "I think there are very strong ties between Bosnian communities and especially between Bosnians and the Turkish people," noting that the two countries essentially share the same goals.

"Considering that we share a history, long periods of joint history, our aspirations are pretty much the same," she said, adding Türkiye is a member of NATO, and Bosnia and Herzegovina "aspires to become a member of NATO. Ankara got (EU) candidate status a long time ago. Sarajevo was struggling for candidate status in the European Union and got it recently."

Many people from Türkiye and Bosnia have "very similar cultures,” she said, adding there are "many elements on which we can base friendship, partnership, the struggle for equality, and the application of human principles."

Turkovic went on to say that if there is a country that understands Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in particular Bosnian people, one should keep in mind that it is Türkiye.