SDA President Bakir Izetbegović met with the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. The meeting was held in the Office of the Presidency in the Dolmabahce Palace, behind closed doors.
In a statement on Bakir Izetbegović’s Facebook page, it is stated that he requested the support of President Erdogan, as one of the leading world leaders with strong international influence and good relations with the administration of the United States of America, in order to present an objective picture of relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the relevant decision-making centers and to prevent the spread of harmful and dangerous misinformation.
It is stated that the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was discussed at the meeting, with a special focus on the intensified propaganda and lobbying activities that are being attempted in certain international circles to impose a distorted picture of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Izetbegović pointed to attempts to present Bosnia and Herzegovina in the international space through stereotypes about radicalism and the security threat associated with Muslims, and to promote the thesis about the threat of Christians and the domination of Muslims, which consciously creates fear and encourages Islamophobic narratives.
“At the same time, there is an attempt to impose the perception that Bosnia and Herzegovina is an unsustainable state, that the coexistence and equality of peoples are impossible, and that division is the only realistic solution,” he announced.
According to Izetbegović, it was judged that such constructions have no basis in reality, but they can find fertile ground in certain political and ideological circles.
“It was emphasized that this is an attempt to replace theses, which diverts the attention of the international public from the real problems, namely the continuous attacks on the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the secessionist policies that destabilize the region. Considering the complex geopolitical circumstances, it was assessed that the attempts to create false narratives need to be answered with the truth, active diplomacy and the strengthening of international alliances,” stated Izetbegović’s statement.
