Senior Turkish politician praises Bosnia's Wise King

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - The founder of modern Bosnia has been hailed as the “wise king of the Islamic world” on the anniversary of his death.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavusoglu praised Alija Izetbegovic, who declared Bosnian independence from Yugoslavia in 1992 and was the republic’s first president, as a key figure for modern Muslims.

“Alija Izetbegovic was not only a president, jurist, politician or commander but also a Muslim intellectual and the ‘wise king’ of the Islamic world as a writer who wrote important works,” Cavusoglu said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the 14th anniversary of Izetbegovic’s death, he added: “I think that the politicians of our age should analyze Alija's life very closely.

“The more today’s world takes advantage of Alija’s paradigm, the more the world will be able to cover distance on the path of humanity and civilization.”

Izetbegovic came to international prominence during the 1992-1995 war and is credited with forging a new state for Bosniaks, earning him the epithet the Wise King.

“Any politician who properly understands Alija cannot remain insensitive to the persecutions and pressures of a world overwhelmed with wars,” Cavusoglu added.

- Jailed over political activities

An early advocate of Bosnian nationalism, Izetbegovic was jailed for 14 years in 1983 for his political activities but released after five amid pressure from human rights groups.

Following his release, he was instrumental in founding the Party of Democratic Action, which enjoyed electoral success in the early 1990s with the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Izetbegovic became president and in 1992 called a referendum on Bosnian independence that resulted in an overwhelming vote to breakaway.

Following the war, Izetbegovic continued to serve as president, although the position eventually became a three-person office. He stepped down in October 2000.

As a writer, his best-known work was Islam Between East and West. Published in 1980, it was an attempt to define the “place of Islam in the general spectrum of ideas” and argued that Islam is more than a religion.

He had previously penned The Islamic Declaration, which led to his jail sentence in the 1980s.

Cavusoglu said Izetbegovic’s “sense of decency” marked him apart from other politicians.

This coherence was “reflected in his attitude to his enemies during the war days” and his refusal of “indecent proposals” while in prison.