Rival Serbian Muslim Organizations Settle Their Differences in Turkey's Capitol

Turkey has successfully intervened to end the damaging split between Serbia's two rival Islamic communities, one based in Belgrade and the other in the mainly Bosniak [Muslim] southwest Sandzak region.

Ankara has resolved a dispute that has caused an escalating crisis inthe predomiantly Muslim Serbian region of Sandzak, which at times has resulted in violence and imams being harassed on both sides.

The split dates back to 2007. The Islamic Community in Serbia, based in Novi Pazar, the biggest town in Sandzak, looks to neighbouring Bosnia for spiritual guidance and is led by Muamer Zukorlic. The Islamic Community of Serbia, based in Belgrade, is led by Adem Zilkic. The dispute was caused by speculation that Sandzak was becoming autonomous, a goal promoted by Zukorlic.

As a result, some 350,000 residents of the region have been torn between the two religious leaders, both of whom claimed superiority over the other for a say in how Sandzak should be run. , which the mufti of Sandzak has called for, was reportedly settled by Ankara last week.

A meeting was held for both sides in the Turkish capital of Ankara. Attendees including the mufti of Sandzak Muamer Zukorlic of the Bosniak Culture Community; Sulejman Ugljanin, a state minister supporting rival Bosniak Ticket; Rasim Ljajic, the minister of labor, employment and social affairs supporting the Bosniak Renaissance; and Bosnia's grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Directorate of Turkish Religious Affairs (DİB) head Mehmet Görmez, succeeded in getting both sides to draft an agreement to end the crisis that has damaged the Sandzak community.

The Turkish-mediated agreement is to be signed by the two heads of the two Serbian Islamic communities and the head of the Muslim community in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ugljanin said that the separation of religious institutions in Sandzak was "finally concluded under the guidance of the Turkish authorities," and that the Bosnians in Serbia reached an accord thanks to their efforts. Ugljanin added that the participants of the meeting would pay the utmost respect to the "sovereign rights and territorial unity of Serbia" while they resolve their problems, and that the meeting was a sign of victory for all Muslims in Sandzak.

The meeting in Ankara foresees the establishment of a religious affairs directorate, which would see to the separation of politics and religious affairs in the minority Muslim community, a development Ljajic hailed as a turning point in Sandzak's history after which "the real problem of Sandzak, its economy, can finally be discussed and resolved."

Sandzak Mufti Zukorlic, a figure who grabbed international attention with his calls for autonomy for Sandzak, expressed his gratitude to the Turkish authorities at the end of the meeting, admitting that he had "surrendered himself to the will of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," a leader he believed was capable of establishing a strong emotional bond with his people. Noting that he would follow Ankara's advice of unifying the Muslim communityl.

“I admire the efforts of Davutoğlu and Görmez to come up with a solution to the problem in Sandzak,” Zukorlic was quoted by Anatolia as saying. He concluded that he would agree on any solution the Bosnian grand mufti and Turkey reached, and noted that the draft agreement would be signed and submitted to Belgrade on his return to the country.

Sandzak has suffered from a serious economic backlash, being a region mostly ignored under Yugoslavian rule, battling high levels of unemployment and lack of investment as a result of decades of ineffective policies that left the region under-served.

Protests for an autonomous Sandzak erupted after a referendum held in the region after the collapse of Yugoslavia showed that 99 percent of the residents demanded political sovereignty -- a demand that is still voiced by many local politicians and religious leaders in Sandzak.