Türkiye ready to help with problems in Bosnian elections: Erdoğan

Türkiye is ready to give support for overcoming the problems regarding the upcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 6.

"I repeat once again that we, as Türkiye, are ready to do our best to overcome the current problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the consent of the parties," Erdoğan said at a joint press conference with the three-member Presidential Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The council includes Croat member Zeljko Komsic, Serb member Milorad Dodik and Bosniak member and current chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic.

He recalled that Bosnia and Herzegovina was preparing for an election to be held on Oct. 2 and said, "It is also important for us to make this visit on the eve of the elections."

Erdoğan underlined that it is important to have an atmosphere that will contribute to the welfare of the country in the process leading up to the election.

The president criticized a move by Christian Schmidt, the high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, who attempted controversial changes to the electoral law before the parliamentary elections in October.

"Three leaders should make the decision on the election law. The intervention of the high representative in this is also contrary to the requirements of democracy," he emphasized.

"It is intervention to the process while there is less than a month until the elections," Erdoğan said.

Türkiye and Bosnia decided to pave the way for their citizens to travel between the two countries with identity cards, he also said.

"In a new step, we have decided to make round trips between Bosnia and Herzegovina - Türkiye with identity cards," Erdoğan stated noting that a similar...