Emin Emin, a Bosnia and Herzegovina Balkans researcher from the Humanitarian and Social Research Center (INSAMER), operating under the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, talked about Bosnia and Herzegovina at the "Islamic World Talks" organized by the Mihmandar International Students Association. Explaining the political history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the most rooted countries in the Balkan geography, Emin made evaluations about the current political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“OTTOMAN SPREAD ISLAM IN THE BALKANS”
Emin started his speech by talking about the traces of the Ottomans (Osmanlı) in the Balkans and said, “Islam came to the Balkans with the Ottoman Empire. The ‘Ahitname’ given to Christians in Bosnia and Herzegovina by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan after he conquered Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1463 is shown as the first human rights document in the world in some sources. Ottoman influence in the Balkans lasted for centuries. From the beginning of the 19th century, the power of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans began to decline gradually. Balkans has been a region where global powers tried to rule throughout history and today. Our main subject, Bosnia and Herzegovina, constitutes the very center point of the Balkans.”
“FORGOTTEN GENOCIDE REPEATS”
Mentioning the persecution of the Serbs against the Bosnians, “The Bosnia-Herzegovina-Serbian War took place between 1992 and 1995. The war, in which at least 100 thousand civilians were killed and many genocides were experienced, lasted for 3 years. There are still mass graves in Srebrenica, the bodies of the victims of the genocide are still exhumed. Srebrenica is an indicator of what kind of savagery is shown against the Bosnians. The main responsible of this genocide was the trio of Sloban Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic and Radko Miladic, who ruled the Serbs. The late Aliya İzzetbegovic once said, ‘Whatever you do, don't forget the genocide that happened to you. The forgotten genocide is repeated. At this point, it is necessary to always be cautious and never forget the facts of the genocide,’” Emin said.
“THE POLITICAL SYSTEM DAYTON BROUGHT IS UNCERTAIN AND COMPLICATED"
Stating that the Dayton Peace Agreement dragged Bosnia and Herzegovina into political turmoil, “According to Dayton, a new constitution was made in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A tripartite presidential system was established. According to this system, Bosnian, Croat and Serbian leaders hold the office of presidency alternately for 8 months. There is also a high representative appointed by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This foreign representative, who is neither Serb, Croat nor Bosnian, has the right to dismiss the president and make changes in the laws. His decisions cannot be taken to court in any way. The appointed have greater power than the elected. This is an example of the political turmoil in the country. There are 5 different presidents, 13 different governments, hundreds of ministers and 700 deputies across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina with a population of 3.4 million is expected to make progress with such a system, how much is this expectation possible with this system?” Emin added.
“WAR IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IS BOTH SERIOUS AND LOW POSSIBILITY"
Analyzing the recent political tension in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Emin said, “War is always a serious possibility in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But today, the probability is as low as its seriousness, because there is no strong army like Yugoslavia, where the Serbs took power, as in 1992, and Russia, which supports the Serbs, does not have an action to go to war with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Bosnians do not want war, this was always the case in 1992 and today. Bosnians have always been in favor of peace. If you ask a Bosniak about the war situation today, you will get the answer, ‘We never want war, but when it comes to the end, our front is ready.’ There will always be political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is unlikely that these tensions will turn into wars under current conditions."