Strategy: Izetbegović Lobbies for Erdoğan to Attend His Pre-Election Rally and Offer Support!

Candidate of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegović will build his entire election campaign on the claim that he has the support of the newly elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

As confirmed to us from multiple sources, Izetbegović is trying to arrange with official Ankara for Erdoğan to visit BiH during the campaign and attend one of the pre-election rallies with Izetbegović.

If he fails in that, Izetbegović will try to arrange for Erdoğan to address a rally in BiH at least via video link, in the same way Izetbegović did a few days ago at Erdoğan's pre-election rally.

However, sources close to Turkish diplomacy told Patria that official Ankara will stay on the sidelines during the election campaign, especially due to the fact that such a move could be interpreted as direct interference in the internal politics of BiH.

At the same time, despite the good relations Erdoğan wants to maintain with BiH and the legitimate representatives of Bosniaks, dissatisfaction is growing among Erdoğan's associates over the fact that Turkish economic and financial aid to the country does not have an adequate impact.

Namely, sources from Ankara point out that although Turkey is becoming an increasingly larger investor in the BiH economy, and significant funds are being invested in the restoration of cultural and historical heritage, this country is increasingly associated in the BiH public only with one politician and party, and its contribution is undeservedly diminished due to that.

However, as we learn, Izetbegović is intensively trying, through lobbyists in Sarajevo and Ankara, to convince Erdoğan that his support for the SDA candidate in the election campaign, due to the great reputation of the Turkish leader among Bosniaks, would ensure victory for Izetbegović, and that, in fact, Turkey would thus choose the Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH and show how much political power it has in the Balkans, NAP reports.

The question is only how other international actors in BiH, especially the United States and the European Union, would perceive and react to this fact.