One of the main topics of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Croatia is the refugee crisis. Of course, the presence of 90 Turkish businessmen indicates that the focus will be on the economy.
The refugee crisis and Turkey’s rapprochement with the EU, along with strengthening mutual economic relations, are expected to be the main topics of the meeting between Erdogan and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. According to media reports, Croatia is expected to receive the first 30 out of about five hundred refugees from the resettlement program from Turkey in June, a country that has accepted the most, around 2.2 million Syrians fleeing a four-year war. Zagreb is also expected to pay its share of European financial aid to Turkey, which this year amounts to 1.7 million euros.
During his two-day visit to Zagreb, Erdogan will discuss bilateral relations with senior Croatian officials, particularly focusing on strengthening economic cooperation and will participate in the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of Islam in Croatia.
Ministers of justice, European affairs, economy, energy, culture, and tourism, as well as more than 90 business people, are coming to Zagreb for the economic forum. Turkish investments in Croatia amount to 213 million euros, mostly in tourism and energy, specifically bioenergy facilities. Although they represent less than one percent of total investments in Croatia, Turkish investments are generally greenfield investments.
