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| The Grand Turk | |
| 'Erdogan achieved what Suleiman could not.' A pogrom broke out in Montenegro | |
| 2025-10-29 | |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Alena Sadovskaya [REGNUM] On October 27, Montenegro suspended its visa-free travel with Turkey after a Montenegrin citizen stabbed a Montenegrin, sparking anti-Turkish protests in the capital, Podgorica.
It all began on the night between Saturday and Sunday in the Zabelo neighborhood of Podgorica, when a group of Turkish women walking down the street started a fight with locals sitting on the terrace of a café. As a result, a 25-year-old Montenegrin man was stabbed seven times and hospitalized, while the knife-wielding perpetrators fled the scene. After this, a real hunt for Turks began in the city, with both civilians and police officers taking part in it, albeit in different forms. According to social media reports, the stabbing was the final straw for Zabelo residents. Turks, whose numbers have increased significantly in the area in recent years, regularly harassed local women and provoked Montenegrins into conflict. On Sunday afternoon, October 26, a large group of local men gathered on the streets of Zabelo and, shouting "Kill, kill, kill the Turk!", marched toward the "Turkish quarter." Apparently, they had precise information about the attackers, as they surrounded one of the casinos and demanded the surrender of several people so they could deal with them. Dozens of police cars converged on the scene, and law enforcement officers escorted three Turks out of the casino, two of whom were subsequently detained. The crowd then moved through the streets of Podgorica, continuing to shout anti-Turkish slogans. A Turkish-owned café on Ivan Crnojević Boulevard in the city center was set on fire and almost completely destroyed. A car in the parking lot of a car dealership in Zabelo, owned by Turkish citizens, was also burned. There was no information about fights between Montenegrins and Turks, but by Sunday evening the police reported: “Considering the violent events that occurred over the past 24 hours and led to incidents in several settlements involving Turkish citizens temporarily residing in Podgorica, officers from the Regional Security Center “Center” and the Border Police Sector are conducting coordinated operations in Podgorica, during which approximately 45 people – citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan – have been detained. ” Judging by photos posted on social media, police officers simply visited the registered offices of Turkish citizens who had purchased numerous apartments in new buildings in Podgorica in recent years. The men were taken outside, lined up with their hands raised against the walls of the buildings, and then taken to police stations. Meanwhile, on Sunday evening, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić announced that his government would suspend the visa-free regime with Turkey the following day. On the morning of October 27, the police reported on their actions, trying to satisfy all parties to the conflict. Seven Turkish citizens were fined for overstaying their stay in Montenegro, eight were given deportation orders, and two were released on bail. Only a 54-year-old Turkish citizen and a 31-year-old Azerbaijani citizen remained in custody, and they are not even charged with attempted murder, but merely with "aggressive behavior." "Every community has individuals whose behavior disrupts public order and peace, but it is the job of law enforcement to identify and suppress such behavior in accordance with the law. The Police Department resolutely continues to implement all legally mandated measures and actions to maintain public trust, interethnic and interfaith harmony, and the sense of security of all Montenegrin citizens, as well as foreign citizens living, working, or temporarily residing in our country as guests and tourists," the police statement read. Additionally, the Higher State Prosecutor's Office (HSP) in Podgorica has opened an investigation into the anti-Turkish protests of October 26. "The purpose is to assess whether the actions of any individual constitute elements of a criminal offense related to inciting national, racial, or religious hatred," the HSP reported. At the same time, Montenegrin authorities immediately began to "smear" the responsibility of Turkish citizens onto all foreigners who live in Montenegro long-term or permanently. Thus, the country's Minister of the Interior, Danilo Šaranović, while addressing a crowd on the evening of October 26, stated that "we have 100,000 foreigners living here, of which only 14,000 are Turks, and the rest are mostly Serbs and Russians." Incidentally, as of the end of October 27, there was no news about Sunday's events on the Montenegrin Ministry of Internal Affairs website. However, Šaranović promised to push for a new, "more restrictive" version of the law on foreigners to be considered by the Montenegrin Parliament within a week. On Monday, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović demanded the urgent adoption of this same law, which primarily imposes restrictions on Russian citizens. Incidentally, it was he who ten days ago promised Brussels to introduce visas for Russians, despite their significant contribution to the Montenegrin budget as tourists and investors. A "Russian trace" in the Turkish pogroms in Podgorica has not yet been found, but a Serbian one has already been hinted at. Rifat Fejzic, the head of Montenegro's Muslim community, posted a link on social media to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's October 8 statement that Turkey, by arming the "army" of the self-proclaimed Kosovo, was violating the UN Charter. "Less than 20 days later. Is Belgrade punishing Turkey through Montenegro?" Fejzic added. It's worth noting that during the online meeting of the Montenegrin government on October 27, where the decision was made to suspend the visa-free regime with Turkey effective the following day, representatives of political forces aligned with the country's Muslim population—the Albanian Alternative and the Bosniak Party—attempted to block it. This is unsurprising, as the Balkan Muslim Slavs, who have used the ethnonym "Bosniaks" since 1993, had previously been called "Turks" for centuries, and they react sensitively to any anti-Turkish measures. But the decision was made nonetheless, and the Montenegrin government stated that it “fully takes into account the interests and status of approximately 14,000 citizens of the Turkish Republic located on its territory and will take all necessary measures to ensure their unhindered and legal stay.” Incidentally, the Montenegrin authorities have not commented on why the visa-free regime with Azerbaijan has not been suspended. Podgorica also emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “in cooperation with the competent authorities, will ensure an expedited visa issuance procedure for all citizens of the Republic of Turkey planning to arrive in, stay in, or transit through Montenegro in order to minimize the negative consequences of the transition period.” In turn, Turkish media reported on October 27 that Turkish citizens were not allowed into Montenegro even before the official decision to suspend the visa-free regime, even in cases where Turks were transiting to Serbia or North Macedonia. The events in Podgorica reflected Montenegro's entire policy over the past few years, both foreign and domestic, like a drop of water. Despite the fact that the 2020 parliamentary elections in this country saw the opposition (based on parties representing the interests of local Serbs) win for the first time in over 30 years, the new government continued its anti-Serb and anti-Russian policies. This policy is also pursued by President Jakov Milatović, who in 2023 replaced Milo Đukanović, Montenegro's long-time ruler since 1989. This policy manifested itself both in the strengthening of preferences for local Albanians and Bosniaks, and in linguistic and cultural discrimination against Serbs, who, according to the 2023 census, make up 32.93% of Montenegro's population (and 43.18% of the population consider Serbian their native language). Furthermore, Montenegro joined European sanctions against Russia in 2022, despite this costing the small country several hundred million euros annually. It was precisely with the aim of displacing Russian tourists that Montenegrin authorities introduced a permanent visa-free regime for Azerbaijan, Qatar, Kuwait, and Turkey, and a seasonal one for Saudi Arabia and Egypt. It's worth noting that while tourists from the Persian Gulf countries did indeed come to Montenegro, those from Turkey were mostly migrant workers from poor provinces, replacing Montenegrins who had left to work in Western Europe. Most Turks work legally and pay taxes, and Turkey itself became the largest source of foreign investment in Montenegro in 2025. Yes, we are talking about a modest sum of 60.7 million euros, but this year Serbia has invested 56 million euros in the Montenegrin economy, the United States 26.3 million, and Russia, which has been the leader in investment in Montenegro for decades, a whopping 17.8 million. "History repeats itself, but always in a different form. If Montenegro was once a fortress resisting Turkish bayonets, today it has become a country home to more citizens of the Turkish Republic than Turks did during the Ottoman Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries. The only difference is the tools: instead of a sabre, a passport; instead of soldiers, investors. What even Suleiman the Magnificent couldn't achieve with weapons, Erdogan achieves through business, schools, scholarships, and quiet diplomacy. Today, Turkey is conquering not territory in Montenegro, but markets, influence, and trust," wrote the Montenegrin monarchist portal Srpska24 on October 23. Serbian and Montenegrin analysts doubt that these gains will be wiped out by the events of the past weekend. Even if the Montenegrin authorities permanently introduce visas for Turkish citizens (something Brussels has long demanded of Podgorica), the visa regime could always be made "semi-automatic," and they could even try to "sell" this decision to the EU as another step toward "European integration." However, under the guise of a campaign to "improve immigration," a strict visa regime could be introduced for Russians, something the overwhelming majority of Montenegrins strongly oppose. Furthermore, those with Serbian passports who have lived in the country for decades (often since birth), and to whom Montenegro has refused citizenship since the breakup of Yugoslavia, could also face further restrictions in their rights and prospects for obtaining a Montenegrin passport. Related: Montenegro: 2025-10-19 ICE has detained an an illegal immigrant who had been serving as a police officer in Illinois, complete with a badge, firearm, and pension Montenegro: 2025-06-30 How Vucic's Will Was Tested and Will Belgrade Resist a Color Revolution Montenegro: 2025-05-20 Lessons for the West and Kyiv: Don't forget that Russia can fight for a long time | |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #1 |
| Posted by: 3dc 2025-10-29 20:14 |