'Türkiye Will Not Allow A New Conflict In Bosnia And Herzegovina'

Bosnia Herzegovina plays a key role in the region's stability, and Türkiye will not allow a new conflict, said the Turkish foreign minister on Friday.

Mevlut Cavusoglu's remarks came during a joint news conference with his Bosnian counterpart Jasmina Turkovic in the capital Sarajevo.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina is in a key position in terms of regional stability, Therefore, we cannot allow a new conflict here in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Everyone must act responsibly in this regard," said Cavusoglu.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan desires to hold the Türkiye-Bosnia Herzegovina-Serbia trilateral summit at the relevant time, he added.

"During our contacts in Belgrade, we saw that Serbian authorities are also ready for this summit, as well as Mr. (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic."

Cavusoglu on Wednesday met with his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic in Belgrade.

They exchanged views on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Cavusoglu reiterated Türkiye's strong support for Bosnia Herzegovina and the region.

"We will continue to strongly support the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as we have done so far.

"We will continue to pursue our efforts for the stability and development of Bosnia and Herzegovina in an inclusive way. We think that these efforts will contribute positively to the welfare of all countries in the region, he noted.

Turkovic, for her part, said Cavusoglu's visit comes at an important moment for Bosnia and the visit is an indication of the continuity of relations based on mutual respect.

"The stability and development of Bosnia Herzegovina is key to the stability of the entire region," Turkovic said.

Cavusoglu is currently on a Balkan tour. So far, he has visited Serbia, North Macedonia, and Croatia, and his next destination is Kosovo. -