Turkish president calls separatist approaches in Bosnia 'unacceptable'

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unity and territorial integrity carry “fundamental” importance, also calling separatist approaches in the Balkan country “unacceptable.”

Erdogan made the remarks during a closed-door meeting with Denis Becirovic, the chair of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Presidency, at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Presidential Office, said an official Turkish statement.

According to Türkiye's Communications Directorate, the meeting focused on recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as regional issues.

Erdogan said he is closely following the situation after a court ruling against Milorad Dodik, the president of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Serb entity Republika Srpska (RS), and has also been in contact with regional leaders.

A Bosnian court last month sentenced Dodik to a year in prison and barred him from politics for six years for defying the authority of the top international official overseeing the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war.

Following the ruling, the RS National Assembly voted to ban state institutions – including the Supreme Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, the Prosecutor's Office, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) – from operating within the RS entity.

Dodik, who signed measures defying Bosnia’s Constitution, said he would not comply with court or prosecutors’ summons once the disputed laws take effect, claiming he would be protected by Republika Srpska police.

National media have called the actions a "coup," while the Bosnian Constitutional Court annulled his controversial decisions.

During Friday’s meeting, Erdogan stressed the importance of de-escalating tensions within Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional framework and the rule of law. He called for a broad social consensus to maintain the country’s unity and rejected separatist efforts.

He also emphasized the need to maintain peace and stability in the Balkans amid growing regional and global security challenges and reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and constitutional order.