Erdogan rally to Sarajevo spurs conflict

Undesirable in Western Europe, the Turkish president's plan to hold a pre-election rally in Bosnia's capital causes fierce debate in social media.

Policymakers and analysts will debate the political significance of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's upcoming pre-election rally in Sarajevo and with Bosnian approval for a while.

But in social media, battle lines have already been marked.

Welcome to our Sultan's arrival, our Turkish brothers were and remained the only friends of our Balkan peoples”, a Facebook user wrote on President Erdogan's newly created website support for the visit of President Erdogan to Sarajevo.

“Ditator! ” wrote another on a rival page, Sarajevo citizens against Erdogan's Rally.

The news opened last week, which Erdogan and his party Justice and Development will gather the Turkish diaspora in Europe in Bosnia's capital on May 20th, ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections envisioned for June 24th, a year and a half ahead of the plan.

He was accompanied by bans from Austria, Holland and Germany for campaigns by Turkish parties between the considerable number of Turkish communities in these states, a reflection of how much relations between the European Union and Turkey under Erdogan have dried up.

In an interview with Klx.ba, Turkish Ambassador to Sarajevo Haldun Koc described Erdogan's trip as a working visit and said he would participate in a convention of the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD), a Turkish lobbi organisation that has recently established a sister organisation in Bosnia called the Union of European Democrats of the Balkans (UEBD).

This convention is scheduled to be held in Sarajevo's renovated Olympic Hall, with capacity of 20,000.

Bosnia's approval of such an event, by a man who is accused by the EU of turning democratic freedoms, by inflicting furious blows on opponents, causes divisions in the country's future in Europe and the legacy of several centuries-old Ottoman and Turkish rule.

Supporters view Turkey as a strong financial and diplomatic ally, defender of Bosnian Muslims in a still weak state against foreign powers' rival rivalries. Others argue that Erdogan treats Bosnia as vasal, a tool in his efforts to build a Turkish influence on the former Ottomantros.

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) UETD (@UETD) May 4, 2018

While some Bosnian supporters dubbed Erdogan the Bosnians' father, other opponents online called for anti-companion.

“Erdogan is challenging Europe through Sarajevo”, reading a comment. “We're just chess stones in his political schemes”.

Some media reports say more than 10,000 Turks will travel from European countries to see Erdogan at some point. Local Bosniaks, groups of Turks and Muslims who reside in Bosnia and other Balkan countries are also expected to follow, some at their own expense, others through organised transport.

Online, those in favour of the event praised Erdogan's success in boosting the Turkish economy, boosting the country's regional power and supporting Muslims in the Balkans and beyond.

Critics stressed his growing authoritarianism, human rights violations and worsening relations with the West.

) M IRE SE VINY PRESIDENT, a Facebook user wrote. If we have hope in someone who will help us survive, it's you, Mr. President. President and Turkish people”

Another was less enthusiastic: “Boll was a satellite of another”, it wrote. / BIRN