After the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) gained its independence with a referendum held in 1992. Bosniacs, Bosnian Croats, and Bosnian Serbs were the main sides of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The war caused more than 100,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries, War ended with the agreement reached and initialed on 21 November 1995... The General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina created a delicate balance between constituent peoples. Due to a unique state system involving complex procedures, it was envisaged to appoint a High Representative with the authority to resolve the civil matters of GFAP.. A Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and its Steering Board were also constituted., Turkey is a member in the PIC Steering Board.. PIC in its meting held in Bonn in 1997 welcomed the High Representative’s intention to use their final authority regarding interpretation of the Agreement on the Civilian Implementation of the GFAP to facilitate the resolution of difficulties by making binding decisions, as they judge necessary. These powers were called as "Bonn Powers".. The analysis defends the view that to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the BiH the PIC and the High Representative Office should continue with the Bonn Powers.. It suggests that Turkey, as a member of the PIC Steering Board, has the ability as well as the responsibility as a Balkan state with exceptional ties with BIH, to influence the shaping of the decisions to be taken regarding the continuation of OHR.. The analysis also proposes that Turkey, as it did in the past, should staunchly defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH and must strongly oppose the approaches that aim to dismember BiH.
Why Should The Role Of The Peace Implementation Council And OHR Continue In Bosnia And Herzegovina?
