LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic thanks Israel for not recognizing Kosovo (Beta/RTS)

 

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, the first Israeli head of state to visit Serbia, on Thursday invited President Aleksandar Vucic to visit Jerusalem. The two presidents told a joint news conference that relations between Serbia and Israel are traditionally good. Rivlin recalled that the two countries renewed their diplomatic relations almost 25 years ago. “Our friendship has lasted longer than that. The Jewish community in the Balkans and in Serbia reaches back 2,000 years into the past. We look to the future but history, both good and horrifying, must not and cannot be forgotten,” the Israeli President said. Rivlin paid homage to the Serbian “law on restitution of the property of people who have no living relatives” which he said should become a model for other countries. Vucic thanked Israel for not recognizing the self-declared independence of Kosovo and said that Serbia would always support the survival of the state of Israel and cherish friendly relations towards the Israeli state and people. Vucic recalled that the Jewish and Serbian people went through a lot of suffering and horror in two world wars but always knew how to respect each other and each other’s’ victims. Serbia is one of the countries in which “anti-Semitism almost does not exist” and would “never have fascism, neo-fascism and neo-Nazism”. Vucic said that they discussed the planned memorial centre at the site of the Nazi camp Staro Sajmiste in Belgrade. “We respect all victims. We have never forgotten to mention Serb, Jewish and Roma victims when we commemorate the suffering of our people but we will never allow any to demean and reduce the number of Serb victims,” he said.

 

Readiness of Serbia, United States for strengthening bilateral relations (Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, who is on a two-day visit to the United States, met in Washington D.C. with US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Wess Mitchell. They expressed mutual readiness for strengthening bilateral relations has been confirmed. The interlocutors also noted the readiness for joint work on regional stability, as well as the need to find a negotiated solution on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Simic: We talked openly about the position of our people in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/TV Pink)

 

Serb List representatives talked in Belgrade with President Vucic and, according to the deputy president of the Serb List Igor Simic, the Serbian President informed them that at present there is no solution for the issue of Kosovo and Metohija that would be tangible and that could be offered to citizens. “We talked openly about the position of our people in Kosovo and Metohija. The Serbian President said in that tone that at present there is no solution that would be tangible,” Simic told Tanjug. Simic noted that Kosovo Serb political representatives consult about everything with Belgrade. He underlined that this list had absolute trust in President Vucic, and that this trust has never been questioned, which was also demonstrated by the elections in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Jevtic: We don’t expect the 4 August deadline to be met (TV Pink)

 

Serb List deputy president Dalibor Jevtic commented for TV Pink the allegations of the DSK MP in Pristina’s Assembly Vjosa Asmani who assessed that the greatest Serbian state failure is the ICJ opinion in 2010. He said that on 23 July, on the anniversary of the massacre in Staro Gracko, the news in the Albanian media was not this even but gratitude to Vuk Jeremic and Boris Tadic for what they had done. According to him, the Albanians in Kosovo are speaking about President Vucic with the worst words while, on the side, they have a hero in Vuk Jeremic, whom they thank. He says that at this moment everybody should be united in what is our national interest, and that a frozen conflict is not. On the occasion of the 4 August deadline set by the EU for Pristina to draft the Statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), and the information that arrived from Brussels that this is an important matter but that it requires time, Jevtic says that this date is not the final deadline. “We know that, and I think that President Vucic also had said several times that he doesn’t expect this set deadline to be met. We are not surprised, we don’t have great expectation. We also discussed this topic today, as well as the process of the dialogue, the ZSO, the situation and position of the Serbs. I wish to point out that, when we speak about Brussels and the fact that they are closing their eyes to Pristina’s moves, this gives the right to the other side to continue,” said Jevtic.

 

Ljajic: Serbia is no drastically hit by Pristina’s measures, but this is a matter of principle (RTS)

 

Customs introduced by Pristina for fruit and vegetable imports are pointless from the point of view of the provisional institutions, Serbian Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic assessed for the RTS morning news. He says that Serbia is not drastically hit by these measures, but it is a matter of a principle issue. Even though Pristina has withdrawn for most products the 30 percent customs that it introduced on 13 July, the representatives of four regional countries called at a meeting in Belgrade for urgent abolishment of customs for the remaining products.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik: NATO will probably try to dispute my victory in elections (Nezavisne)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik said that he does not exclude possibility that NATO will try to dispute his victory in the upcoming elections, under the excuse that elections were not democratic being that this is a military- political structure, which interfered at the end of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and took side of “Muslims and Croats”. “They will probably do something. Let them send observers, whomever they like, OSCE constantly monitors this and all elections in B&H are under their control”, said Dodik. Noting that using of democracy as an excuse to dispute his victory would be absurd, Dodik said that elections are organized in line with B&H’s rules and they are carried out by Central Election Commission, which cannot be influenced by his authority. “There are Bosniaks and Croats in the Commission and it is under strong influence of foreigners. They carry out elections, establish election and media rules, we are consumers of this process which they promote, but they are very ready to say if something is democratic or not”, said Dodik. He stressed that there are no accidents and this scenario was already seen in Armenia, where structures which considered that they have democratic majority to form Government, legitimately won “and then, under influence of the West, tens of thousands of citizens went to streets, who modeled the election will and directed it towards opposition”.

 

Cvijanovic meets Trump’s closest associates (ATV)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic is paying an official visit to Washington. On the first day of her visit, Cvijanovic met with US President Donald Trump’s closest associates, as well as representatives of the Republican Party. Cvijanovic is expected to attend an official ceremony in the US Congress dedicated to the 100th anniversary of raising the Serbian flag at the White House. Cvijanovic’s particularly important meeting was with US political commentator Corey Lewandowski, a man close to Trump. Cvijanovic also met with Trump’s presidential campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who is currently performing the function of an advisor at the White House, as well as media advisor at the White House Sarah Sanders. Cvijanovic met with Deputy Republican Party National Committee Bob Paduchik in Washington on Wednesday. During this meeting, Cvijanovic informed Paduchik about political, economic and security situation in the RS and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). She emphasized that the RS authorities are open for cooperation with the US in all fields. Cvijanovic underlined that the fact Serb people and American people were allies in the past is evidence that it is possible to build partnership in the future, adding that in this sense, the RS has great expectations from new the US administration. Cvijanovic went on to say that she is convinced that relations between the RS and Serbia with the US will be great again. The RS Prime Minister underlined that her visit to Washington represents an opportunity to meet and talk with representatives of the US administration, as well as to meet with Serb Diaspora in the US. Asked about her meetings with representatives of the US administration and representatives of Republican Party, Cvijanovic said that the goal of these meeting is to improve “our mutual relations”, adding that the phase in these relations marked by “misunderstandings and stereotypes” was completely unnecessary. “There is plenty of reasons and opportunities for improvement of these relations,” explained Cvijanovic underlining that she will use meetings with the US officials to convey message that it is necessary to improve mutual understanding and cooperation. She added that the goal of concepts of the meetings is to convey a message that the RS authorities’ activities are not aimed against anyone. She stressed that the decision of the new US administration not to interfere with internal issues of other countries and to develop good relations with these countries represents an opportunity for the RS. The RS Prime Minister emphasized that representatives of the US administration and Republican Party who met with her expressed interest in improvement of relations (with the RS). “I was encouraged with their messages and with good will presented by both sides. I see this as a great opportunity. Off course, I am talking from perspective of the RS. We are open and want to be open for such relations,” stressed Cvijanovic. She explained that improvement of relations with the US does not imply only improvement of political relations, but also economic and other types of relations. She concluded that goal of the RS is to eliminate all misunderstandings between the RS and the US created by some former members of the US administration. Cvijanovic expressed hope that improvement of relations with the US will result in new the US investments in the RS.

 

Izetbegovic condemns lack of reaction to Dodik’s insults against Srebrenica victims (Oslobodjenje)

 

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic stated on Wednesday that the silence of political, intellectual and religious elite of Serb people in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the offenses of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and other Serb officials against the victims in Srebrenica and Bosniaks in general is shameful and inhumane. He said that it is no longer a case of isolated incidents, but a growing trend, using Dodik’s statements about the Muslim call for prayer as an example.

 

Covic meets Grabar-Kitarovic in Zagreb (HRT1)

 

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic held a working meeting with Croat member of B&H Presidency Dragan Covic in Zagreb on Wednesday. On this occasion, Grabar-Kitarovic reiterated that she will continue providing full and unequivocal support to internal development of B&H and the path towards the EU membership. Covic informed Grabar-Kitarovic about the current political situation in B&H. Covic said that Croats in B&H will continue insisting on respecting of the constitutional principle of legitimate representation at all authority levels, even though the Election Law of B&H has not been amended. Covic underlined that it will be important to preserve stability in the post-election period in B&H.

 

Israel: Croatia has moral obligation to deal with past (Hina)

 

The Ustasha regime was one of the horrible regimes of Nazi collaborationists in this region and an active partner in the killing of dozens of thousands of Jews, Serbs, Roma and other opponents to the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said on Wednesday in Jasenovac, adding that Croatia has the moral obligation to deal with the past as it is the foundation of every just society and an important element of its friendship with Israel.

Rivlin and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic visited the Jasenovac Memorial Museum and laid wreaths at the Jasenovac memorial. Rivlin recalled that not only the majority of Jews who lived in the 1941-45 NDH were killed at the Jasenovac concentration camp, but tens of thousands of Serbs, Roma and other opponents to the regime as well. He said Croatia's ability to deal with the past and not ignore it was a moral obligation which was the foundation of every just society. It will also remain an important element in the Croatia-Israel friendship, he added.

On the eve of WWII, 40,000 Jews lived in NDH to whom Croatia had been a warm home for centuries, but during WWII it became a mass grave for the majority of Croatian Jews, who were killed only because they were Jews, he said. Croatian President Grabar-Kitarovic expressed deep sorrow for the victims of the Holocaust in Croatia and the victims of the collaborationist Ustasha regime and said that not one political objective nor order can justify the crimes committed in their name. In this place, under the Jasenovac memorial, I wish to express my deep sorrow for all the victims of the Holocaust in Croatia and the victims of the collaborationist Ustasha regime during WWII which brought horrific suffering to the Jewish community but also to the Serbs, Roma and Croats and all those who were considered to be enemies of the regime of that time, President Grabar-Kitarovic said. She underscored that many Croats opposed that regime and died for freedom and humanity, putting our homeland on the correct side of history. Grabar-Kitarovic said that we are aware that that part of our history has had a shadow cast over it and we have faced up to that, accepting responsibility for a future based on knowing the truth and building a better society on the values inbuilt into the Constitution of our country. She also recalled that the contemporary Republic of Croatia is founded on the anti-fascist struggle and the Homeland War which was extremely important for us because it finally brought us freedom, and that Croatia was forced to defend itself from aggression which brought horrific crimes and destruction with it. After WWII we were convinced that nothing similar could ever be repeated on European soil. And then the tragedies of Skabrnja, Vukovar and Srebrenica occurred. Those tragedies testify that peace and values of humanity and democracy must never be taken for granted, the president underlined. She recalled that today Croatia is a proud member of the European Union and NATO, founded on common values which we share with the State of Israel and the international community, values of democracy, freedom and respect of every individual, regardless of their origin. That is why I most strongly condemn manipulation with the numbers of victims of the Holocaust in the Jasenovac concentration camp that aren't founded on historical fact and are used for daily politicking or to impose collective guilt on Croatia and the Croatian people.

 

Vukovic: Serbia will lose in every area if it lets the Church frame the policy (Dnevne novine)

 

Rhetoric which has been coming from Serbia in recent days, primarily from the Serbian Orthodox Church, may provoke tensions, but the ultimate result will be disastrous for Serbia itself, since it will waste precious time trying to enter the train which leads to European values, European standards, to all those relations that exist among EU Member States. Unfortunately, such messages from Serbia indicate that it’s immature country in democratic sense, says the MP of the DPS, Miodrag Vukovic, commenting on the offensive messages of certain representatives of the Serbian state authorities. Montenegro mustn’t allow to become part of the game that parts of the Serbian national corpus are trying to play again by pointing the finger at their neighbors and accusing them of the alleged bad position of Serbs. “We have to defend ourselves with wisdom, smart acts, which is the characteristic of our state policy. We’ve turned to ourselves, we don’t want to become like others. We don’t want to become part of the circle that leads, as the history has already confirmed, to tragedy and misfortune,” said Vukovic.

 

Zaev: Decision for calling referendum by late July, even without opposition VMRO-DPMNE (MIA)

 

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev believes that the parliament will make a decision on calling a referendum by July 30, which is to be organized with or without the approval of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE. If there is no agreement with the opposition party on the preparations of nationwide plebiscite, VMRO-DPMNE deputies will have to voice their opinion - do they stand for boycott, ‘silent’ boycott, or support the referendum – a process that enables citizens to freely voice their opinion on the (name) deal with Greece and Macedonia’s future within the EU and NATO, Zaev told reporters on Wednesday. There is no need for convening a fresh leaders’ meeting, the PM says, voicing readiness for talks with the opposition leader in favor of reaching an agreement on all matters related to the upcoming referendum. Referring to the results of the last leaders’ meeting, Zaev said the leaders of four main parties agreed for the referendum to be called as soon as possible, enabling for the constitution to be amended (as stipulated in the name deal) afterwards – a process that will take about 100-120 days. ‘We have even mentioned 30 September as the referendum day, which means that the parliament should made a decision on the matter by 30 July,’ Zaev said. The main differences between the ruling and opposition parties are related to the referendum question, Zaev said, which as proposed is simple and comprehensible, as the (name) deal with Greece is the main prerequisite for Macedonia’s bid to join the EU and NATO. ‘Therefore our (ruling parties)’ proposal for the referendum question reads: Are you in favor of EU, NATO membership by accepting Macedonia-Greece (name) agreement? The opposition proposal reads: Do you accept Macedonia-Greece name agreement, signed by Foreign Ministers Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Kotzias in Psaredes Nivici, which fully destroys the Macedonian language, Macedonian identity, Macedonian culture and Macedonian national uniqueness? This is not true, and we cannot pose such a question to citizens. The government wishes unity for matters of national interest,’ the PM said. The referendum should be a successful process that would guarantee the credibility of the votes ‘for’ and ‘against’, as well as one that will motivate citizens to cast their vote, Zaev said. He once again underlined the significance of the referendum for Macedonia’s future, appealing to all political stakeholders to act responsibly and allow citizens to make decision on a matter of historic importance for the country. ‘Why should we fear from the citizens’ decision? Isn’t a referendum one of the best instruments of democracy? Let’s make this referendum successful,’ Zaev said. He also notified that there was no discussion on the proposal of VMRO-DPMNE: a green light for the referendum question in exchange for amending the Criminal Code. Such move would mean direct or indirect amnesty; something that neither Mickoski nor Zaev are entitled to, the PM said, notifying that at the last leaders’ meeting the opposition withdrew the proposal for amending the Criminal Code. The PM said he was certain that the ruling and opposition parties could reach an agreement of the referendum, considering its significance for Macedonia.

 

Macedonia launches NATO pre-accession talks (MIA)

 

Macedonia is launching the NATO pre-accession talks, after the country officially received the membership invitation at the Alliance Summit in Brussels on July 12. A NATO delegation led by head of the Euro-Atlantic & Global Partnership Office at NATO, James Mackey, is visiting Macedonia for discussions on political, security, defense, financial and legal issues related to the membership negotiations with institutions involved in the process. Mackey told Wednesday's press conference alongside National NATO Coordinator Stevo Pendarovski that he expects Macedonia to become the Alliance's 30. member in approximately 18 months, after the completion of internal procedures in the country and the ratification by all NATO member-states.

Discussions with representatives of Macedonian institutions will refer to the series of ongoing reforms, as well as those to be tackled within the Alliance accession process. "Your country has been involved in the Membership Action Plan and in partnership with NATO for many years and is well prepared for this work," said Mackey. Pendarovski said the visit of the NATO delegation, which has been composed immediately after the Brussels summit, launches the pre-accession talks. "They intend to fulfill their obligations, but we need to do our part of the job too," added Pendarovski. According to him, the delegation will not discuss political issues, namely the name agreement, but the aspects that are typical for the pre-accession talks with each individual country, such as military-technical matters, as well as legal and financial implications from the future membership in the Alliance. Pendarovski said the pre-accession process should be completed in a few months. "The main political task of the government - the name agreement - remains to be the prerequisite for our full-fledged membership," underlined Pendarovski.

The NATO accession process following the membership invitation in Brussels represents an additional motivation for institutions, the public administration and the citizens to contribute in bringing the country closer to the family of allies, but also opens perspectives for further economic development, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev at Wednesday's meeting with a NATO delegation led by head of the Euro-Atlantic & Global Partnership Office at NATO, James Mackey. Mackey said his visit to Macedonia aims at sending a clear and strong message that the Alliance marks the start of the accession talks, with NATO working groups coming to the country in every 2-3 weeks, for harmonization of the required policies and standards with national teams, until the country joins NATO, the government said in a press release.

Alejandro Alvargonzalez, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, will be the Alliance's team leader in the accession talks with Macedonia. Zaev referred to the current political developments in the country and presented the country's preparedness to launch the NATO accession process. Zaev is chairing the Working Committee on Macedonia's NATO integration, which also includes Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska, Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski, Finance Minister Dragan Tevdovski, Justice Minister Renata Deskoska, Minister of Public Administration and Information Society Dramjan Mancevski, National NATO Coordinator Stevo Pendarovski, and PM's National Security Adviser Zoran Verusevski.

 

Parliament elects SEC members, endorses amendments to Electoral Code, laws on government and financing of political parties (MIA)

 

100 MPs in the 120-seat parliament elected Wednesday the members of interim State Election Commission, which is in charge only to organize the upcoming referendum on Skopje-Athens name agreement. The parliament in a fast-track procedure also endorsed the amendments to the Electoral Code by 99 votes; and to the laws on government and financing of political parties by 99 and 101 votes respectively. Oliver Derkovski, representing opposition VMRO-DPMNE, is elected for the SEC chairman, DUI’s Ditmire Sehu for vice-chair; while Elizabeta Apostolovski (VMRO-DPMNE), Janakie Vitanovski, Boris Kondarko, and Radica Ristevska (ruling SDSM) are appointed for the SEC members. The appointment of SEC members opens the door for organizing the referendum, which should take place on September 30. Under the amendments to the law on government, the incumbent Prime Minister will submit formal resignation 100 days before parliamentary elections. The Parliament shall elect new interim government, headed by a new Prime Minister that will be appointed by a party holding the largest number of parliamentary seats. New ministers of internal affairs, labor & social policy, as well as three deputy ministers shall be also appointed in accordance with the government model stipulated in the 2015 Przino agreement that put an end to the political crisis in Macedonia. MPs of both ruling, opposition parties voted in favor of the interim SEC composition and amendments to above mentioned laws – points of a recent agreement of the leaders of four main political parties.

 

Four Western Balkan countries urge Kosovo to fully revoke tariffs on produces (MIA)

 

Agriculture ministers from Macedonia, Serbia and B&H, and a representative of Montenegro, on Wednesday in Belgrade welcomed Kosovo for its decision to partly lift trade barriers, but urged it to withdraw tariffs for other products. On Tuesday, the Kosovo government reached a decision to partly lift the temporary measure. It still affects several produces, such as tomatoes, peepers, apples, pears, plums, grapes and raspberries. The ministers of agriculture, trade and economy of Macedonia, Serbia and B&H, and a representative of Montenegro, convened today in Belgrade, where they decided that every country could introduce counter-measures unless Kosovo as soon as possible lifted the remaining trade barriers. The ministers reached a decision on the establishment of an operating body tasked with preventing and solving future trade barriers in the region. At the same time, they pledged to prevent a tariff war in the region saying 'all countries will turn out to lose something.' "Macedonia is most affected by these barriers. We expect immediate withdrawal of this decision. Otherwise, Macedonia will take all measures and steps necessary to protect our agriculture, its national production and the citizens," Macedonian Minister of Agriculture Ljupco Nikolovski said after the meeting in Belgrade. The operating body will function until Protocol 7 of the CEFTA Agreement is enforced, according to Serbia's Minister of Trade Rasim Ljajic. "The body will be focused on swift and effective resolution of possible problems and on preventing new customs barriers. It doesn't mean that the CEFTA Agreement is revoked, it only serves as a temporary measure until full implementation of Protocol 7," said Ljajic. Ministers in the meeting also reached an agreement on further reforms in CEFTA paving the way for facilitating trade in the Western Balkans. It is expected to secure support from the European Commission.

 

US State Department report, Mediu: Albania not a safe place (ADN)

 

The Chairman of the Republican Party (RP), Fatmir Mediu, has reacted this Wednesday after the report that the US State Department made public for Albania. According to him, the last reports unveils that Albania has a high level of corruption and drug trafficking and it is no more at the safe places to invest. "It is not surprising that this report excludes Albania from the list of safe US investment sites. US State Department report during the recent years determines Albania with a high level of corruption and drug trafficking. We are the country that has not only the highest taxes but the biggest fiscal instability in the region. Laws that are adopted, add to the corrupt government control in the market and favor companies and clans at the government," said Mediu. He added that, no American business would invest in a country without courts, where the Prime Minister Edi Rama is the Chief Prosecutor, Head of Judges and Police.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Ankara's Rising Balkan Influence Rattles Allies (VOA, by Dorian Jones, 25 July 2018)

 

ISTANBUL — Turkey is expanding its economic and cultural influence over the Balkans, and analysts say the strategy, which targets the region's large Muslim minorities, is worrying some of its Western allies. The Balkan region was the center of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. That historical legacy has made the area a priority for Turkey's ruling AKP under recently re-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey's growing influence was visible at this month's inauguration ceremony of Erdogan. While Western European leaders stayed away, five heads of state from the Balkans attended. "Since AKP has this mental construction of re-establishing the Ottoman past, it's [the Balkan region is] important for them," said professor Istar Gozaydin, who has studied the Balkans extensively. "The Balkans as a region, as it has for so many centuries, was under the Ottoman rule and influence. I do see the renaissance of Islamic identity of Turkish influence in the region," said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci, an expert on the Balkans at Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "Turkey is using smart power there culturally, economically and language-wise," he continued. "When you look to those Turks living in the Balkans, they get more and more under the increasing Turkish influence."

Some European leaders are already voicing concern. "I don't want a Balkans that turns toward Turkey or Russia," French President Emmanuel Macron declared in May. Erdogan quickly shot back, saying the comment was "unbecoming of a statesman." The Turkish economy dwarfs those of its Balkan neighbors, and economic muscle is at the forefront of Ankara's projection of influence. "Turkey is building airports, even investing in several sectors, like in Bulgaria and Romania, from textiles to many others," Bagci said. "There is an aggressive economic policy toward the Balkan countries, which cannot compete with Turkey," Bagci said. "In the Balkans, we have two big countries getting influence. One is Germany and the other one Turkey."

Trade has helped Ankara overcome past animosities. "These countries, many of them, don't have automatic access to the EU [European Union], and many of them look to Turkey for trade," said columnist Semih Idiz of the Al Monitor website.

 

'Quite close'

"During the recent Balkan war, Turkey and Serbia were at opposite ends of the fence. They looked at one another with great enmity. Today, we see Serbia and Turkey are quite close, despite differences over Kosovo and Bosnia and things like that. A country like Serbia values its friendship with Turkey, and I think it applies to a certain extent to countries like Croatia, too," Idiz said. He was referring to the events that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia. Serbia is now Turkey's main Balkan trading partner, with $1 billion in commerce. Reaching out to the Balkans' large ethnic Turkish population, through the promotion of religion and cultural awareness, is also an essential tool deployed by Ankara. "They are using religion. They are using diplomacy. Institutions like Tika and Diyanet have been working quite efficiently and hard in the region," Gozaydin said. Tika is the Turkish state's development agency, while the Diyanet administers Turkey's Islamic affairs nationally and internationally. The two institutions are at the forefront of expanding Turkish influence in the Balkans. "They work with the authorities in those countries. They try to influence the politics there," Gozaydin said. "In Bosnia, they are trying, for example, to be influential in the appointment of religious authorities so they can work together."

Turkey has been funding mosque projects across the Balkans, including two of the region's largest mosques in Albania and Bulgaria. Turkish cultural foundations also work to promote ethnic Turkish identity. While Ankara has been successful in projecting its influence, there are signs of growing unease, Gozaydin warned. She said she had met quite a few people in the Balkans, including some authorities, "who were not happy with Turkey trying too hard to have an influence on them. So that was considered to be an interference in their domestic politics."

 

'Grave concern'

Last year, the United States voiced alarm about Ankara's policy. "The Balkans is an area of grave concern now," said then-national security adviser H.R. McMaster. Ankara dismissed such criticism, contending that it was only re-establishing cultural ties that date back centuries and claiming that Russia and other European countries were jockeying for influence in the Balkans. In May, European officials held talks with western Balkan leaders in Bulgaria to reaffirm the "European perspective" of that region. Given the Balkans' recent history of ethnic and religious conflict, however, analysts warn of the risk of a nationalist backlash if Ankara does not tread carefully. "The Turkish minorities, or Muslim minorities, yes, they are always considered as a potential threat by the majority of the Balkan countries," Bagci said. "The more the Muslim identity gets stronger, the more populist movements in the Balkans, like in Germany and other countries, will increase and get stronger. This is the potential conflict."