“Turkish-Bosnian bilateral relations are based upon a deep-rooted historic past”

President Gül and Chairman Izetbegovic of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council held a joint press conference at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. President Gül, delivering a speech at the news conference, highlighted the significance that Bosnia and Herzegovina have a happy, peaceful and prosperous future and maintained that the intense relations between the two countries will continue in the future. 

President Abdullah Gül and Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council held a joint press conference at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. 

TURKISH-BOSNIAN SPECIAL RELATIONS 

Expressing his pleasure at welcoming Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Ankara, President Gül noted that Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council is paying his first foreign state visit to Turkey after he took over the presidency last March, declaring that Turkish-Bosnian bilateral relations are special and based upon a deep-rooted historic past and unshakable human bonds. “Turkey has always endorsed Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our bilateral relations are excellent. We have today placed special emphasis upon the importance that we boost the existing 400 million dollars of trade volume between the two countries.” 

The President pointed to the institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina such as Ziraat Bank, TIKA, Yunus Emre Institute and Anatolian Agency and he also underscored the projects regarding the restoration of the Turkish cultural legacies, economic development projects and support for the return of people uprooted from their homeland. He further informed his audience that during their talks, they had discussed the regional issues as well as the bilateral relations between the two countries, adding that they had also agreed that the trilateral mechanisms in the Balkan region should continue. 

PROGRESS TOWARD BOSNIAN MEMBERSHIP IN NATO 

President Gül, reiterating that Turkey sincerely supports Bosnia and Herzegovina’s integration with the European and Atlantic institutions, noted that both Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international community have responsibilities to fulfill in this regard. “Therefore, we also stand by the EU approach to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I would like to underscore that we expect progress toward Bosnian membership in NATO.” 

Maintaining that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity, stability and welfare are priorities to Turkey, President Gül said that the use of violence by the protesters during the demonstrations held in Bosnia and Herzegovina last February is unacceptable, on the other hand, he continued, the reasons behind these demonstrations should not be ignored. The President later emphasized the necessity that the expectations of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be met and pointed to the cruciality of a well-functioning state mechanism there. 

POLITICAL PROCESS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 

The President continued as follows: “Bosnia and Herzegovina will hold general elections this year. As we have always stressed, the ballot boxes are the channels through which people can express their expectations. We expect that all the political parties should have an approach with common sense for the sake of the people and country. Turkey will continue to fulfill its responsibilities arising from the historic bonds it enjoys with Bosnia and Herzegovina and from its membership in the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). Our Embassy in Sarajevo has assumed an active role in the amelioration of the Dayton system in an effective way and in the dissuasion of destructive and separatist movements by the Office of the High Representative.” 

The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said, is in the hands of its people and expressed his happiness at observing that the 100 million-Euro soft loan allocated by Turkey has contributed to the development and returns in that country. He further highlighted the significance that Bosnia and Herzegovina have a happy, peaceful and prosperous future and maintained that the close relations between the two countries will continue in the future.

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