There is no reason for concern regarding Erdogan’s upcoming rally in Sarajevo, according to Bosniak member of the country’s tripartite Presidency and leader of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Bakir Izetbegovic.

The Turkish President said he intends to hold a Sarajevo rally for the Turkish diaspora in Europe in May. The venue where the event is to take place on May 20 has already been booked.

Several European countries have banned similar gatherings last year.

“We can also go to Germany to lobby for votes, for example for the SDA,” he said, adding that Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic and Croatia’s Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, also visit Bosnia to hold election rallies, while the President of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS) sub-state also goes to Serbia to gain support.

Izetbegovic said that he told German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, at a Wednesday meeting that “Erdogan is a friend of Bosnia, that Erdogan and Turkey have done nothing bad to Bosnia,” and that there is no reason for anyone to have any objection to Erdogan’s visit.

“I told her (Merkel) that this is a gathering of the Union of European Turkish Democrats, their sixth Congress, which will be attended by Erdogan and me,” Izetbegovic said.

The Bosniak Presidency member said he does not think Bosnia could have problems because of the visit.

“We will have a working visit (by Erdogan) and we can have something good for Bosnia come out of it. I don’t see why the visit should be problematic for Germany. Neither Merkel, nor Erdogan are the bosses in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and both are welcome here,” Izetbegovic said.