Senior lawmaker: Turkey stands by Bosnian brothers

ANKARA

Turkey stands with Bosnians against every step in the region that will make them uneasy, a senior Turkish lawmaker said on Thursday.

"As Turkey, we, the Turkish people will always stand by our Bosnian brothers and we are against every step that will make them uneasy, and put the region in a dangerous position," Refik Ozen, the head of Turkey-Bosnia Friendship Group, told Anadolu Agency.

He said Ankara will pursue diplomatic initiatives to mobilize international support for problems Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing.

Ozen stressed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a unique leader who can establish a positive dialogue with Bosnia's three-member presidential council.

"In the coming days, if the need arises, it is possible that [President Erdogan] can do a triple summit [with Bosnian leaders]," Ozen said

Ankara is against all separatist rhetoric of Serbian politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ozen said.

"In that sense, we expect this separatist rhetoric and politicians pursuing the dream of a 'Greater Serbia' to return to more prudent and reasonable explanations. We don't even want to be thought otherwise. We never thought of any possibility other than peace," he said.

"We wish that the approaches of international organizations, especially the UN, the US, Russia, and Serbia on this issue will be more effective. We believe that a gun, a bullet that will be fired there, will affect the whole geography and will not benefit anyone. For this reason, we hope that lessons can be taken from the painful experiences of the past," he added.

Bosnia is currently facing a political dispute between Bosniaks and Serbs living in the country.

The dispute began after former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, in July amended the criminal code to ban the denial of genocide and the glorification of war criminals.

Bosnian Serb politicians said they will boycott the country's institutions in protest.

A Serb member of Bosnia’s joint Presidency, Milorad Dodik, denounced the amendments. “We will not live in a country where someone can impose a law by simply publishing it on his website,” he has said.