Sparks fly between Montenegro and Turkey. The government's decision after a series of incidents
“We will start intensive talks with Turkey in order to find the best solution in the common interest, in the spirit of good cooperation and alliance,” announced the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić.
Why did Montenegro abolish visa-free travel for Turkish citizens?
What happened over the weekend in Montenegro?
What actions did the Montenegrin police take?
How did the Turkish authorities react to the incidents in Montenegro?
On Monday, Montenegrin police detained several dozen citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan. Two of them are suspected of stabbing a Montenegrin citizen, and over 40 others are suspected of not having documents entitling them to legally stay in the country. Some people have already been deported, the services added.
Sparks fly between Montenegro and Turkey. A series of incidents
On Saturday evening, a 25-year-old man was stabbed after, according to local media, he defended a woman who was being verbally attacked. On Sunday, cars with Turkish license plates were vandalized. Several Turkish citizens were forced to barricade themselves in the casino. On the same day, a restaurant run by Turks in the center of Podgorica was broken into and set on fire.
The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, appealed for calm, warning against retaliatory actions against the entire nation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by phone with Prime Minister Spajic and his counterpart Ervin Ibrahimovic on Monday. He said that Ankara expects the Montenegrin authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of Turkish citizens, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
“Contact was established with the Montenegrin authorities immediately after the reports of these events emerged and the necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of our citizens. Developments of the situation are being closely monitored in all dimensions and contact and coordination with the Montenegrin authorities are ongoing without interruption,” the statement said.
