According to officials' estimates, this measure will affect about 14,000 Turkish citizens who previously had the opportunity to stay in Montenegro without a visa for up to three months twice a year.
The reason for introducing these restrictions was the recent interethnic clashes that began on Saturday after a knife attack on a resident of Podgorica. Two men are suspected in this incident, at least one of whom is a Turkish citizen. The victim survived; however, reports that Turkish migrants may have been involved in the attack triggered a wave of violence against Turks in Montenegro. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports its "continuous coordination" with Montenegrin authorities.
It is worth noting that Montenegro's President, Jakov Milatović, previously promised to introduce a visa regime for Russian citizens "very soon" in light of the current situation.
