Turkish PM's statement "crude violation of intl. law"

Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE -- The Serbian government has appraised that a recent controversial statement made in Kosovo by Turkish PM Erdogan was "a crude violation of international law."

The Serbian government in session (Beta, file)

Erdogan's statement in the town of Prizren that "Kosovo is Turkey and Turkey is Kosovo" represents "interfering in the Republic of Serbia's internal affairs," the government concluded on Friday.
A release for the media issued after the cabinet session said that such statements were dealing direct harm to the relations between Serbia and Turkey, and interfering with Serbia's efforts to normalize the situation in the region, especially in Kosovo and Metohija.

The government will for that reason send "the strongest demarche" to the Turkish authorities, and ask for an immediate explanation of Erdogan's gesture.

The government further expressed its belief that the European Union will, "via its relevant organs, and also in the capitals of all member-countries," undertake appropriate measures toward Turkey, as is customary in similar situations - considering that it was "an act that disturbed the peace process" in the southern Serbian province.

Also on Friday, PM Ivica Dačić told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Belgrade that Erdogan's statement represented "a direct provocation aimed at Serbia," and that "something of the kind should not be happening."

"This is not allowed in modern Europe, perhaps in some other systems it is, but as far as we're concerned, that's not possible," said Dačić, and asked ironically whether Erdogan's trip to Prizren, "where he said he favored (Hashim) Thaci in the campaign for local elections", was also of a "religious nature", like his own last weekend.

"That is not the way to normalize relations between Belgrade and Priština," remarked the prime minister.

Dačić added that "some other Kosovo ministers wish to visit southern Serbia," and that there were no obstacles to them going to mosques there, "just as Serbian officials were allowed to (go to churches) in Kosovo," and added:

"They can go to the mosque and use all the space around the mosque, but where does that lead to? What they are doing is building Berlin Walls."