Montenegro imposes visas for Turkey after series of arrests in Podgorica

2025-10-27 16:19:53, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Montenegrin government on Monday approved the decision to temporarily suspend the visa-free regime for Turkish citizens.

The government said it took this temporary measure to review and improve mechanisms for controlling the movement and stay of Turkish citizens in the country.

The decision will enter into force one day after its publication in the Official Gazette.

"Turkish citizens who have planned to come to, stay or transit through Montenegro will be provided with an accelerated procedure for obtaining visas, so that the negative effects of the transitional period are minimized," the announcement says.

The lifting of the visa-free regime was announced by Prime Minister Spajic on Sunday evening, after around 50 Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens were detained in Podgorica regarding the legality of their stay.

In the same operation, a Turkish citizen and an Azerbaijani were arrested, who are suspected of stabbing a 25-year-old man from Podgorica during the night between Saturday and Sunday.

The Montenegrin government stressed on Monday that it is looking after the interests of around 14,000 Turkish citizens currently in Montenegro and that it will take steps to ensure their legal and peaceful stay.

She insisted that this decision will not have an impact on bilateral relations with Turkey.

"The goal is to jointly overcome existing challenges and ensure a long-term and sustainable cooperation framework in the field of free movement of people," she said.

Spajic's announcement came after police during an operation in the Zabello neighborhood of Podgorica arrested around 50 Turkish citizens, including two people suspected of participating in a fight in which a Podgorica resident, MJ, was stabbed, Montenegrin police announced after 10:00 PM on Sunday.

The fight took place on the night between Saturday and Sunday in a cafe in Zabello.

During the arrests, a large group of citizens gathered and chanted hateful messages, inciting violence against Turks. Police prevented some of those present from approaching the buildings where the Turkish citizens were.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Danilo Sharanovi?, also addressed the citizens, saying that it is manipulation to say that 100,000 Turkish citizens reside in Montenegro and explained that their number is 13,000, of which 80 have permanent residence.

On Sunday evening, a large number of police vehicles were stationed in front of the Turkish Embassy building in Podgorica.

MP Boris Bogdanovi? from the ruling Democratic Party, Minister Šaranovi?'s subject, published a photo of the arrests with the caption: "We protect our country. We protect every home."

Police linked the arrests to what they said were incidents with elements of violence over the past 24 hours, in which Turkish citizens temporarily staying in Podgorica participated.

The police said they will verify the legality of their stay and if there was violence during their stay, there may be action to cancel their stay or expel them from the country.

Of the approximately 100,000 foreigners in Montenegro, 13,400 are Turkish citizens, according to official police data. The majority are Serbian and Russian citizens, totaling approximately 50,000.

Otherwise, Turkey is one of the countries for which Montenegro has abolished visas, which is why the European Commission has asked Podgorica to harmonize its visa policy with the European Union. Turkish citizens are required to have a visa to enter EU countries.

"I strongly condemn the attack," Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovi? wrote on the X network, calling on authorities to resolve the case efficiently.

"At the same time, I call for calm and restraint for all citizens. There should be no room for collective guilt or stigmatization of an entire people."

He added that everyone should be careful that their messages do not increase tensions.

"The police and the prosecution are obliged to combat hate speech and any form of intimidation. Montenegro needs a more responsible immigration policy: strong against abuses and crime, and fair to all those who respect our laws," Milatovi? stressed.

Montenegro's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ervin Ibrahimovi?, also strongly condemned the attack. He called on "everyone in Montenegro to exercise restraint," emphasizing that responsibility lies with the individual.

According to him, in a European Montenegro there is no place for violence, for arbitrary actions and calls like "Kill the Turk" - calls that were heard in Podgorica, demanding an immediate reaction from the authorities.

The ruling Bosniak Party also demanded that the case be investigated and the perpetrators punished "regardless of their national affiliation."

"Together, we condemn with great concern hate speech and chants like 'Kill the Turk'... Montenegro must remain a place where we respond to violence not with hatred, but with justice, and where institutions, not the streets, decide guilt."

The President of the Islamic Community in Montenegro, Rifat Fejzic, commented on the event in the context of the cooling of relations between Belgrade and Ankara, following the fact that in early October Turkey sent weapons to Kosovo, which Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i? called "shocking" and assessed that Ankara, which is a member of NATO, does not want stability in the Balkans.

"In less than 20 days. Is Belgrade punishing Turkey through Montenegro?" Fejzic wrote on X, posting a photo of a text with the caption "Vucic attacked Turkey: We know what you are planning...".

Part of the ruling coalition in Montenegro, mainly the parties of the former pro-Russian Democratic Front, have close ties to Belgrade and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?.

In Montenegro, foreign criminal groups, especially Turkish, Georgian and Russian, have become increasingly present in recent years, as stated in the Government's Organized and Dangerous Crime Risk Assessment (SOCTA) last year.

The document does not provide details on the specific activities of Russian and Georgian criminals, while the Turks are mentioned in connection with heroin "operations", human trafficking and money laundering.

Over the past three months, clashes have escalated between two Montenegrin criminal clans involved in international drug smuggling.

There are 11 high-risk organized crime groups registered in Montenegro, most with more than 30 members, according to the latest SOCTA report./ REL