Turkey is not that great of a friend to Bosnia as some political actors want to portray it, according to Rubina Cengic, the editor and presenter at Bosnia’s Radio Otvorena Mreza, a local nonprofit radio station.

Cengic gave the interview in regard to an upcoming visit by Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has caused various reactions from a number or political actors in the country.

Last week, Erdogan said he intends to hold a central election campaign rally in Sarajevo for the Turkish diaspora in Europe.

According to Turkish Ambassador to Bosnia, Haldun Koc, however, Erdogan’s trip to Sarajevo will be a working visit, with a focus on trade, economy and other topics referring to investments and further development of cooperation between Bosnia and Turkey. He said the visit will take place on May 20.

According to Cengic, Bosnia did not need such a visit from the Turkish president.

“We have no political consensus within the country, and those who advocate and support Erdogan’s visit, at a time when other European countries are banning similar gatherings he wanted to organize, really do not think long-term,” Cengic said, adding that advocating the visit is an example of a lack of political responsibility and a lack of thought about possible consequences.

“The question is ‘do we need this?’ or ‘why do we need it?’ or ‘what do we get from it?,” she said.

Cengic said she twice worked on analyses, speaking to various people about the relationship between Bosnia and Turkey, “and all the data and facts show that Turkey is not that great of a friend to Bosnia and Herzegovina as some political groups want to portray it.”

“We are not at the top of Turkey’s interest when it comes to investment at all. Turkey invests a lot more money into other countries, a lot more of it goes to Serbia,” she said.

Cengic pointed out that, when Erdogan met with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic in Turkey on Monday, the Turkish President waited for Vucic at the airport “far from the city”.

“He never waits for politicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina like that,” she said.