Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic (BETAPHOTO/MONTENEGRO GOVERNMENT/Djordje Cmiljanic)
The government of Montenegro has announced that, as of Oct. 27, its visa-free policy for Turkish citizens will be abolished per emergency procedure, while the country’s Parliament will be discussing a new Bill on Foreign Nationals next week – all of which has occurred after a series of incidents involving Turkish nationals, one of which left a Podgorica native wounded.
“We will initiate intensive negotiations with Turkey to find the best mutually-beneficial model, in the spirit of good cooperation and alliance,” Prime Minister Milojko Spajic wrote on Oct. 26, in a late-night post on X.
The announcement followed the arrest of 45 Turkish citizens over multiple violent incidents in the span of 24 hours, including a brawl in which a man from Podgorica sustained a knife wound.
During the arrests, a large group of citizens gathered on site, yelling derogatory messages and calling for violence against Turks.
At the same time, Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic announced that, next week, the Montenegrin Parliament will be assessing a new draft law on foreign nationals, which will be far more restrictive than current legislation.
According to the country’s official records, about 13,300 Turkish citizens are currently residing in Montenegro, 80 of which have permanent residence.
To get full access to all content of interest see our
Subscription offer
Or
Register for free
And read up to 5 articles each month.
Already have an account? Please Log in.