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Türkiye is watching developments in the Balkans “very meticulously and closely,” Turkish parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said Thursday, as he hosted Croatian parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic in Ankara for an official visit.
The two speakers held talks between delegations at the Grand National Assembly, then spoke to reporters at a joint news conference.
Jandrokovic said the sides had confirmed once again that relations are “at a very good level.” He described the countries as friends and allies and said ties should be developed further.
Kurtulmus said peace, security, stability and prosperity should guide policy toward Balkan countries he called friends, neighbors and, in some cases, relatives.
He said the region’s differing political currents should be brought together around that approach, and he expressed hope that developments there would bring calm first to the countries concerned and then to their neighbors.
Jandrokovic said Southern Europe and the Balkans are regions that connect Croatia and Türkiye and are “extremely important” to Zagreb. He stressed the importance of living in peace and security there and said Croatia is closely watching elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia.
Both men also addressed the war in Ukraine.
Kurtulmus called for a fair settlement acceptable to both sides that fully respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Jandrokovic said Croatia values Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity and hopes the fighting ends as soon as possible. He added that Croatia wants to help resolve problems in the Middle East.
Jandrokovic said bilateral trade rose in 2025 compared with 2024 and should grow further. He said Turkish investors operate in many sectors in Croatia, which he described as very important for his country.
He also said Croatia has bought unmanned aerial vehicles made by the Turkish company Baykar, and that Croatian specialists are being trained in Türkiye.
Kurtulmus said defense, energy, culture and tourism offer significant room for cooperation.
He said Jandrokovic would meet Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Haluk Gorgun, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries, during the visit.
The two countries are NATO allies and both take part in the Three Seas Initiative, a forum launched by Croatia and Poland that brings together countries between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas.
Kurtulmus said Türkiye remains a strategic partner of the initiative.
He said Türkiye’s position on the East-West axis gives it a strong role in energy and transport links, and that cooperation with the Balkans, Southeast Europe and Three Seas countries would strengthen connectivity and energy supply security, including along the Middle Corridor trade route.
Jandrokovic said the initiative also covers areas such as energy, artificial intelligence and transport.
Kurtulmus thanked the Croatian people for their support after the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes centered on Kahramanmaras.
He said two schools built through UNICEF projects, one in Adiyaman and one in Hatay, have started teaching, and a third is being completed in Kahramanmaras. Together, he said, they will serve about 6,000 students.
He also said Jandrokovic was the first Croatian parliament speaker to visit the Islamic center in Zagreb.
The two attended ceremonies marking 110 years since Islam was officially recognized in Croatia.
Kurtulmus said Armin Hodzic, who leads the Croatian parliament’s Türkiye friendship group, is a Bosniak Muslim and a deputy speaker representing minorities, which he called an example of the opportunities given to Muslims in Croatia.
Jandrokovic said Croatian lawmakers will visit Türkiye and travel to several cities beyond Ankara.
Asked about Türkiye’s relationship with the European Union, Jandrokovic said Croatia does what it can to support countries outside the bloc.
He called for better trade and economic ties, easier movement of goods and more Turkish investment in the EU. Türkiye has been a candidate country since accession talks opened in 2005.
Jandrokovic said Türkiye should make its own decision about its future status in the EU, and added that Zagreb has “great respect” for what Türkiye does in a difficult geography.
Kurtulmus also answered domestic questions. On the investigations into investment funds, he said the matter “is by no means one to be glossed over or neglected” and that anyone involved must be held to account, including any public officials found to have been negligent.
He said Türkiye should not lose more time, and that victims’ money should be paid back as soon as possible. He said a board chaired by the vice president is working to raise the resources to pay those affected.
On the “Terror-Free Türkiye” process, he said a monitoring commission will be formed in parliament and that “there is no delay whatsoever.”
He said the commission would follow developments and could prepare legal regulations for parliament.
After the news conference, the two speakers laid carnations at the site bombed during the July 15 coup attempt, visited the General Assembly hall and greeted lawmakers. Jandrokovic signed the parliament’s guest book.
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