Turkey hails election deal for Bosnian city of Mostar

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey on Thursday welcomed a deal agreed by rival parties for elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s historic city of Mostar after more than a decade.

The country’s main Bosniak and Croat parties reached an agreement on Wednesday to hold the first local elections in the ethnically divided city since 2008.

“We welcome that the parties agreed on legal arrangements that would allow the holding of local elections in Mostar for the first time in 12 years,” read a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

“This development is important in terms of the functionality of democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the perpetuation of stability and democratic processes in the Balkans.”

The statement added that Turkey would continue to support “Bosnia and Herzegovina’s endeavors to achieve development and prosperity in unity and solidarity.”