OUTBREAK OF XENOPHOBIA AGAINST TURKISH CITIZENS: A prepared hate campaign

Nothing came as a surprise, the violence against Turkish citizens in Montenegro had been prepared for weeks in the media, on social media, and by certain politicians spreading false claims that more than one hundred thousand Turks are living in Montenegro and are “ready for anything.”

“Kill the Turk” echoed through the streets of Podgorica as citizens stepped aside before the mobs of young men, football fans, and so-called “people’s patrols” intent on taking “justice” into their own hands.

In the night between Saturday and Sunday, shortly after midnight, a fight broke out in front of kafana Komanka in Zabjelo. According to official police data, 25-year-old M.J. was injured in the incident, suffering seven stab wounds.

News of the attack spread quickly on social media, fueling hatred and inflaming tensions with mad ideas on organising “people’s patrols.” By the next evening, hundreds had gathered in Zabjelo, demanding that “the Turks be banished.” “Kill the Turk,” “This is Montenegro,” and “We don’t want foreigners in our neighbourhood” were some of the chants heard as police tried to calm the crowd. Dozens attacked a vehicle with Turkish license plates, while three Turkish citizens had to seek shelter in a casino after the crowd tried to assault them. Police escorted them out of the casino and detained them, as the crowd shouted and called for the death of Turks.

Police officially addressed the incident late that night, around 22:20, announcing the arrest of Azerbaijani citizen Y.G. (31) and Turkish citizen N.D. (54), suspected of injuring M.J. They are accused of violent behaviour, a criminal act. The police reported that 45 Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens were brought in for questioning that evening, both for criminal processing and verification of their legal status in Montenegro. Eight will be deported, while seven received fines.

Member of Parliament and senior Democrat official Boris Bogdanović posted a photo of Turkish citizens lined up against a wall with their legs spread, claiming that 40 Turks had been arrested and that “they are protecting every home,” promising “no compromise” in defending citizens’ safety.

While the tense situation in Zabjelo continued, Minister of Internal Affairs Danilo Šaranović addressed the gathered citizens. He said that claims of 100,000 Turkish citizens in Montenegro were false. “There are currently 13,000 Turkish citizens in Montenegro, of which only 80 have permanent residency. We prepared a new law on foreigners seven or eight months ago. Next week, we will introduce a more restrictive law to Parliament, and we will solve this like a serious state,” he said.

According to police data as of September 30, 2025, 13,308 Turkish citizens hold temporary or work residence permits, while 87 have permanent residency in Montenegro.

While the gathering in Zabjelo was still underway, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić announced on X that Montenegro would, through urgent procedure, temporarily suspend the visa-free regime for Turkish citizens the following day. The next day, the promise was fulfilled.

The overnight visa regime for Turkish citizens will be effective on Thursday. How this campaign and the new restrictive measures will affect relations with the country that is one of the top foreign investors, after Serbia and Russia, is to be seen. Problems may escalate if Turkey responds with reciprocal measures, given the large number of Montenegrin citizens who study, trade and receive medical treatment in Turkey or travel via Istanbul.

That same night, chants turned into action. After midnight, a car belonging to a Turkish citizen was set on fire at the car park Zeren Motors in Zabjelo, while in downtown Podgorica, on Ivan Crnojević Boulevard, a restaurant leased by a Turkish citizen was destroyed. Windows shattered, the place set on fire, and the kitchen demolished. On social media, some users shared lists of businesses cancelling Glovo deliveries because many Turks work there, alongside videos showing two Turkish men being harassed.

On Tuesday, police arrested eight people for crimes and misdemeanours motivated by national and religious hatred. A man identified as P.M. from Podgorica was detained for spreading hate speech against Turks online. Three young men were arrested for attacking three Turkish citizens in Zabjelo with fists, kicks, and baseball bats.

The Higher State Prosecutor’s Office (VDT) in Podgorica initiated an investigation into the October 26 incidents, when a group in Zabjelo chanted “Kill, kill, kill the Turk.” The VDT stated that investigations were also opened regarding damage to two vehicles and property owned by Turkish citizens, “to determine whether any of the actions constitute incitement of national, racial, or religious hatred.”

The next day, the crowd with the same hate in their voices, escorted by police, marched toward City Kvart, an apartment complex, “to look for Turks.” There were no physical clashes, but the tension was palpable as anti-Turkish chants filled the streets. Before the march to City Kvart, police detained several Montenegrin citizens after finding multiple baseball bats prepared for attacks on Turks near the so-called Komanka building in Zabjelo. Police stated the arrests were part of intensified activities following online calls for violence and hate speech, warning that “there is no place for self-initiated actions or hate speech” and that all those spreading national intolerance would be prosecuted.

“We are defending ourselves from further migration, stabbings, rapes, and occupation,” read one banner at a protest outside the Government on Tuesday, October 28. The protest, initially planned in front of the Turkish Embassy, was held under the slogan “For a normal life for us and our children! We want to live safely!” and followed the established narrative of “protecting” women, children and others from Turks.

Before the protest, police detained 11 people, including nine minors, who were found with balaclavas, flares, and marijuana, allegedly planning to attend the protest.

The wave of hatred spread beyond Podgorica. In Bar, two Turkish-owned businesses were demolished, and one was nearly set on fire. The following night, a Turkish-owned shop in central Herceg Novi burned down completely.

Three days after the initial incident that triggered this wave of violence, in which a young Montenegrin man was injured, Police Director Lazar Šćepanović stated that three Azerbaijanis and one Turk had taken part in the attack. “The injuries were minor, cuts and one stab wound, and the prosecutor determined this was not attempted murder, a conclusion confirmed by medical experts,” Šćepanović said.

Following these events, hate exploded across social media and comments on news portals, with open calls for Montenegrins and Serbs to unite against, as they say, the eternal enemy. Posts and comments dehumanising Turks and calling for lynching spread unchecked.

Saturday’s fight was merely a trigger, as the hate campaign had been brewing for months through statements from politicians, activists, influencers, and hate on social media. Institutions were slow to refute the false claim that a part of citizens accepted as credible, promoted by Nebojša Medojević, Milan Knežević, and Vladislav Dajković, that over 100,000 Turkish citizens lived in Montenegro. There was little to no response to rumours about Turks allegedly raping, kidnapping, or intimidating locals.

At the beginning of the month, anti-Turkish sentiment intensified after social media was flooded with videos of a kidnapping in Budva involving Turkish nationals. Police reacted quickly, arresting all those involved.

The fear and anger deepened further when fake news circulated that a child had been kidnapped in a Podgorica shopping mall. Posts claimed the child was taken from their mother in broad daylight and later found in a bathroom with their hair cut and mouth taped. All spiced up with the information that it was a group of Turks. Police confirmed that no such report had been filed, and the mall stated that it had not been closed, calling the story false. “Turks kidnap children”, “they steal food from Glovo orders”, “they kill, beat, and rape…”, these were some of the comments circulating online.

As the story grew, new rumours appeared: that “strange men” were photographing children on playgrounds or lurking in neighbourhoods to “record” them. UNICEF and Montenegro’s Statistical Office (Monstat) reacted, explaining that they were conducting a preparatory phase of a research. In vain, as the fan group Varvari issued their last statement, saying “they rape our women, kidnap and film our children, rob in the streets, and walk Podgorica armed.”

Even after the false claim about 100,000 Turks in Montenegro was debunked, some politicians justified it by saying there was a “subjective feeling that there are that many.”

It is worth recalling the shameful 1995 incident in Danilovgrad, when, after the rape of a girl, a mob took justice into their own hands and burned down an entire Roma neighbourhood. Police did not intervene. This will not stop on its own. A part of the citizens has finally found someone to unleash its anger upon for all the problems that trouble us all. The problem is that for now, they are mostly getting away with it, so they might go even further in the future.

Author: Predrag Nikolić

Photo: Aljoša Turović