Bosniak Politicians Campaign for Erdogan in Turkish Elections

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the cornerstone ceremony for the Belgrade-Sarajevo highway in Sremska Raca, Serbia, 8 October 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/KOCA SULEJMANOVIC

They sent messages over the weekend via social media, and paid visits and joined meetings and political rallies in Turkey itself.

"A modern and strong Turkey under Turkish President Erdogan's leadership means a modern and strong Balkans. All Bosniaks … and other nations are looking to Erdogan. The policy of Bosniaks from Sandzak is peace, justice and development, the same as President Erdogan and his AKP," Sulejman Ugljanin, president of the Party of Democratic Action Sandzak in Serbia told thousands of Turkish Bosniaks at a rally in Istanbul's Bayrampasa district.

 

Bu gönderiyi Instagram'da gör

 

Dr. Sulejman Ugljanin (@dr.sulejmanugljanin)'in paylaştığı bir gönderi

Ugljanin said in the so-called "Bosniak getto" of Bayrampasa that for Bosniaks from Sandzak, "Victory for Erdogan and the AKP on May 14 is victory for all of us".

Ugljanin was accompanied by other senior SDA Sandzak politicians and by Bosniak MPs in the Serbian parliament.

He was not alone in Turkey. Another Bosniak delegation from Montenegro was also present at a political rally of Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

"Labour Minister of Montenegro Admir Adovic [of the Bosniak Party in Montenegro] is today with us. On one side is Ugljanin, on another side is Adovic. Turkey's friends are here … We will win with our friends," Soylu said on Sunday.

Bosniak delegations from Serbia and Montenegro also visited Bosniak migrant NGOs in Istanbul's Bayrampasa, Sefakoy, Yeni Bosna and Pendik districts that have large Bosniak populations....