The government made the urgent decision to temporarily introduce visas for Turkish citizens under pressure - to calm citizens and give the police time to restore order, claims one of Vijesti's interlocutors, explaining the executive branch's decree adopted yesterday at an electronic session.
This act was preceded by the wounding of a Podgorica resident, in which, according to the Police Directorate, citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan participated, which caused a series of incidents - from xenophobic chanting, to the demolition of restaurants, to the burning of cars owned by Turkish citizens...
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While the Government says that Montenegro fully takes into account the interests and status of around 14.000 Turkish citizens on its territory, Vijesti's interlocutor, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and leader Demos Miodrag Lekić warns that hasty decision-making carries the risk of new mistakes.
"Since some temporary measures have been adopted, it would be good if they were not understood as a solution to the problem," said Lekić.
He says that it is a delicate matter, between interests and risks, which requires serious work based on expert analysis.
"Solutions should be principled and comprehensive. We should avoid stigmatizing one people, by any name," said Lekić.
Representatives of most parties, NGOs, civic activists and state officials condemned the attack on the Podgorica resident, as well as the chants, and called for restraint. They also pointed out that the temporary lifting of the visa-free regime with Turkey could complicate relations with Ankara, an important NATO ally and partner in healthcare and the economy, and one of the leading investors. If Turkey introduces reciprocal measures, citizens and businesses from Montenegro could suffer the consequences, especially since a significant number of Montenegrin citizens are being treated in that country.
Yesterday, the police arrested Azerbaijani citizen YG (31) and Turkish citizen ND (54), suspected of causing injuries to MJ two nights ago in Zabjelo. The statement from the Police Directorate states that the day before yesterday, they detained 45 citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan, who were the subject of criminal processing and checks regarding the legality of their stay on the territory of Montenegro.
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On that occasion, as the police said, seven misdemeanor warrants were issued for violating the provisions of the Law on Foreigners, eight foreign citizens were ordered to leave the country, while two were ordered to remain at a specific address and report regularly to the police until the proceedings before the competent authorities were completed.
Due to the attack on a Podgorica resident, a protest was organized in Zabjelo on Sunday evening, during which a group of citizens chanted "Kill the Turk." A reporter for Television Vijesti reported that three Turkish citizens had barricaded themselves in a casino after, according to eyewitnesses, a group of locals tried to physically confront them. After the police took them out of the casino, they detained the two.
The Higher State Prosecutor's Office (VDT) in Podgorica yesterday initiated a case regarding the chanting in Zabjelo.
BS threatened to leave the government?
According to unofficial information from Vijesti, BS leader and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović threatened Spajić with leaving the government if visas for Turkish citizens were introduced.
On Sunday evening, Vijesti asked Ibrahimović and Energy Minister Admir Šahmanović whether it was true that they had threatened to leave the government, but they did not respond.
A source from BS, however, unofficially said that leaving the government is not an option for them.
The Bosniak Party did not respond to Vijesti's questions about whether they would leave the government due to the introduction of visas for Turkish citizens and whether they expect reciprocal measures from the Turkish authorities.
Force said they expressed concern about this hasty decision by the government, believing that this could affect good relations between the two countries, "while the situation created had the opportunity to be regulated through the judicial system and not affect diplomatic relations."
Unclear whether Turkey will introduce countermeasures
The government yesterday amended the Visa Regulation, removing Turkey from the list of countries whose citizens do not require a visa. The government announced that the decision is temporary and that Montenegro fully takes into account the interests and status of approximately 14.000 Turkish citizens who are on its territory, "and will take all necessary steps to ensure their stay is unhindered and in accordance with the law."
They emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the competent institutions, will provide an expedited visa issuance procedure for all Turkish citizens who planned to arrive, stay or transit through Montenegro, so that the negative effects of the transition period are minimized.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish Embassy in Podgorica did not respond to Vijesti's questions yesterday - whether they will respond with reciprocal measures, or whether they will introduce visas for Montenegrin citizens.
The Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond yesterday to the question of whether they expect reciprocal measures and how this will affect the citizens of Montenegro.
A Vijesti source from the government said that this decision had to be made to calm citizens who were in a panic, but also to give the police time to restore order.
He also said that the Prime Minister Milojko Spajic spoke with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, but it remained unclear whether Turkey would introduce countermeasures.
Citing diplomatic sources, the Anadolu Agency reported that during the conversation, Fidan conveyed Turkey's expectation that the necessary measures be taken to ensure the safety and protection of the rights of Turkish citizens in Montenegro.
As stated, the Montenegrin side has assured that all appropriate measures are being taken in this regard.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that, in response to the events in Montenegro, measures have been taken to ensure the safety of Turkish citizens and that they are continuously maintaining contacts with the Montenegrin authorities.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry website states that "some distressing events" occurred in Montenegro over the past weekend, which also affected their citizens.
"Immediately after the events began, contact was established with the Montenegrin authorities, and the necessary measures were taken to ensure the safety of our citizens," the MFA said, adding that they are closely monitoring the development of the situation.
A well-designed state policy is needed
Miodrag Lekić says that the fact of the presence of 100 thousand migrants with a tendency for their growth has required the definition of a more thoughtful state policy in this area.
According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in September there were a total of 100.867 foreign citizens in Montenegro - of which 71.250 had temporary residence and 29.617 had permanent residence. The Ministry of Internal Affairs told Vijesti that among foreigners with temporary residence, citizens of Serbia, the Russian Federation and Turkey dominate.
Lekić warns that there are many potentially negative consequences of the state ignoring such a situation - from economic, social, legal, political, to the creation of a completely new demographic picture of Montenegro.
"One of the consequences of all this is the possibility of occasional incidents, even with more serious consequences than this last one," said Lekić.
He adds that since the government's measures apply to Turkish citizens, "there was certainly some reaction from the Turkish state," which opened a channel of communication between the two countries.
"That's why I wouldn't speculate on Turkey's ultimate reactions. I have the impression that there will be precise and clear messages. It would be more difficult for me to predict those from our side. And not only because of the differences already expressed in the government regarding the adoption of temporary measures for Turkish citizens," he said.
He states that it is noticeable that the Turkish Foreign Minister is maintaining communication with two representatives of the Montenegrin Government, "with one who proposed the aforementioned measures and with the other who did not vote for them."
According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", ministers from the Albanian Alternative and the Bosniak Party have not commented on the decision.
"On the other hand, we cannot count on differences in the Turkish government, nor probably in any government in the world when it comes to such important state issues," Lekić said.
Individuals, not ethnic communities, are to blame
Protector of human rights Siniša Bjeković He said yesterday that institutions must take all necessary measures, in accordance with the law, to stabilize the situation regarding the incident involving Turkish citizens and to prosecute those responsible without any discrimination.
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He called on the citizens of Montenegro to show peace, patience, and wisdom.
"On this occasion, I am especially addressing the citizens of Zabjelo and of course all other parts of Podgorica and all of Montenegro, to not allow this event to lead to the strengthening of xenophobia," said Bjeković in the Parliament, during the debate on the Annual Report on the Work of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro for 2024.
MP from the Europe Now Movement (PES) Dragana Vucevic She condemned "any type of attack and every individual who commits a criminal offense and violation should be prosecuted."
Her party said they understand the negative feelings such an act may cause, but that it is unacceptable for citizens to take on the role of law enforcement.
Nikola Zirojevic (Social Democrats) agrees that responsibility should be personalized, but, as he says, this does not correspond to the statement of the Prime Minister who said that visas should be introduced for all Turkish citizens just because of this incident.
"This stance of the Prime Minister is deeply wrong for several reasons... What will happen if Turkey responds in kind? How many Montenegrin citizens are being treated in Turkey?" he asked.
He told the PES MPs' club to influence Spajić "not to behave in a xenophobic manner and not to potentially damage relations with a country that is a NATO partner and one of the most important economic partners."
Zoja Bojanić Lalović (DPS) said she agreed that guilt should not be personalized.
"Responsible politics requires a responsible response," she said.
Member of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) Bogdan Božović said that "citizens have a natural and inalienable right to defend themselves when the state fails to protect them."
He also stated that he "completely understands the reaction of people who want to protect themselves, their families and their property", stating that incidents involving foreign nationals are "increasingly common" and that "the system is not functioning as it should".
NGOs call for refraining from inciting hatred
The Human Rights Action (HRA) called for refraining from expressing, provoking and inciting hatred or intolerance and violence against Turkish citizens and other foreigners in Montenegro.
"Attributing collective guilt and calling for violence against the people to whom the perpetrator of an incident belongs is prohibited and leads to a wave of violence," they said.
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Development Coordinator at the Center for Civic Education (CGO) Miloš Knežević He said that the decision to temporarily lift the visa-free regime for Turkish citizens shows the Prime Minister's lack of maturity to systematically approach the challenge of managing migration, respecting European Union rules.
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The Civic Alliance (GA) and CEDEM announced that the incident in Zabjelo must not become a reason for the collectivization of guilt and the spread of intolerance.
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"Montenegro will not accept migrants from Great Britain"
President of the state Jakov Milatovic He said yesterday that Montenegro must not become a reception center for other people's migration problems and that the events in Podgorica clearly showed what happens when a state loses control over its own immigration policy.
"In this context, I view with particular concern the Prime Minister's statement, reported by the reputable British media The Times and The Guardian, that he and the Government are ready to consider the possibility of accepting migrants who have been returned from the United Kingdom, in exchange for investments from that country. I want to make it clear that I oppose such a decision and believe that such a decision would be disastrous for Montenegro," Milatović stressed.
The Prime Minister's Office responded by saying that Montenegro will not, at any cost, accept migrants from Great Britain and that Milatović's statement is part of an "obvious disinformation campaign aimed at spreading fake news and causing panic."
The Times reported that last week, Spajić, speaking on a panel with the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Ram at Chatham House in London, said that Montenegro is not in negotiations with the United Kingdom on establishing a center for the reception and return of migrants, because his country is in a different situation than others in the region - it is not "part of the migrant routes through the Balkans."
After Rama asked him whether Montenegro would be open to the idea if Britain offered to invest in its transport infrastructure, Spajić replied: “Yes, I would definitely accept it if they invested 10 billion euros in railway construction.”
Milatović's office responded to Spajić that it was a "panic reaction to the writings of serious and independent media" and "let the citizens judge for themselves who is spreading 'disinformation'."
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“Arbitrary and inaccurate information about the number of Turkish citizens”
The Police Directorate announced on Sunday that as of September 30, 2025, 13.308 Turkish citizens hold temporary residence permits or temporary residence and work permits, while 87 people from that country have been granted permanent residence in Montenegro.
The police announced this, as they said, "bearing in mind that arbitrary and incorrect interpretations of data on the number of Turkish citizens residing in Montenegro have recently been appearing in the public."
President of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knezevic, warned of a "dramatic increase in the number of Turkish citizens currently residing in Montenegro", emphasizing that this is a "serious number for a small country like ours".
"I have sent a letter requesting accurate data on the number of Turkish citizens in Montenegro. According to my information, there are around 110.000 people. I think that is a huge number for a country like Montenegro and that we need to tighten the regulations regarding the entry of foreign citizens," Knežević said on Saturday in the show Slobodna zona on TV Prva.
DNP did not answer Vijesti's question about where Knežević got this information.
Knežević also pointed to the "broader geopolitical context", stating that Turkey is "building an ammunition factory in Kosovo" and that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is openly threatening the region.
"Erdogan said that if Serbia tries something about Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, it will have to deal with 100 million Turks. So do you think these 100.000 Turks in Montenegro would calmly observe such a situation? They have already been granted minority status in Macedonia, and I think Montenegro must seriously consider these trends. We can limit the stay of foreigners to one month - that is not discrimination, it is the protection of the state," said Knežević.
Lekić: The culture of resentment remains strong
Lekić pointed out that the reactions of citizens were harsh in both directions.
"On the one hand, strong condemnation of the serious event in Podgorica, sometimes with manifestations that seem extreme. On the other hand, mitigation of the incident, and harsh criticism of those who responded to the incident," he said.
The rhetoric, he added, is most often belligerent and victimistic in both cases, with abuses of history.
"Obviously, despite campaigns on the culture of remembrance, the culture of ill-remembering remains strong here," he said.
He warns that everything is becoming very serious, dramatically serious when Montenegro is increasingly turning into an ethnically deeply divided country, with internal geopolitical factors, forces and dynamics.
"If this process is passively observed from the state level, then more serious consequences, I fear, are yet to come," he said.
Authorities agree on measures, citizens gather
The Police Directorate announced that, at the proposal of Acting Director Lazar Šćepanović, an emergency board meeting was held yesterday at which broader strategic measures were agreed upon regarding the stay of foreign citizens in Montenegro.
These activities will, as announced, enable an efficient response and the implementation of more restrictive measures relating to the residence of foreigners, increased controls during the movement, work and residence of foreigners, urgent and detailed controls of all business entities where foreign citizens are the founders...
Police announced yesterday that they had detained several people after several baseball bats prepared for an attack were found near the "Komanka" building in the Zabjelo neighborhood of Podgorica.
As announced by the Police Directorate, the arrests were carried out as part of intensified activities due to posts on social networks that called for violence and hate speech after the incident in which two foreign citizens - from Turkey and Azerbaijan - attacked MJ in Podgorica the day before yesterday.
The police are appealing to citizens to refrain from violence and are saying that any illegal behavior will be sanctioned without exception.
Several dozen citizens gathered last night near the Big Fashion Center in Podgorica, in a sign of revolt over the wounding of Podgorica resident MJ the night before last. According to unofficial information from the police, these were fans of the "Zabjelo" Football Club...
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