Discourses of political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina towards Türkiye (1991-2014)

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a keystone in ensuring stability in the Balkans region. Türkiye, which increased its regional initiatives, and this country, particularly with the disintegration of Yugoslavia, has emerged as a key player today. Türkiye's initiatives towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, which favour sustaining stability in the region and attach importance to pursuing an inclusive policy, have been responded to in different ways in Bosnian politics at different times. While the political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina and their perceptions of Türkiye are presented in this study, the discourses of these parties toward Turkey are also attempted to be conveyed. Türkiye's support for Bosnia, especially during the war in Bosnia and the post war period, also affected the discourse in this period. Especially in this period, it was observed that while cooperation calls to Türkiye were widespread, there were also expressions of gratitude for the help. In this context, there has been no major change in the discourses of political parties towards Turkey until 2009. However, by 2009, Türkiye had undertaken numerous initiatives not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also throughout the Balkans region, increasing her visibility in the region. As a result, in 2009, there was an increase and diversification in the discourses of Bosnian political parties toward Türkiye. One may see that Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks focus on cooperation areas, while Bosnian Serbs in particular use critical language towards Türkiye by frequently expressing the concept of "Neo-Ottomanism" in their discourses. However, it has been observed that the cooperation agenda in general has been replaced by negative comments in certain periods. Overall, it can be concluded that Türkiye's initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina have created a positive impression. Although Türkiye is perceived as a friendly and allied country, the frequent mention of the Ottoman legacy and the presence of Türkiye in the domestic politics of the country caused reactions and created distrust in some quarters. Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Discourse, Perception of Türkiye, Political Parties, Turkish Foreign Policy.