The director of the “Veselin Masleša” Ensemble from Banja Luka, Nemanja Knežević, expressed his outrage over the prohibition of displaying the flag of Republika Srpska at a festival in Turkey, highlighting that such an incident had never occurred before despite their participation in numerous festivals.
Knežević told RTRS that in protest, he withdrew from the parade, while the folklore performers continued their walk without singing or dancing.
He stated that the festival in Turkey is one of the best in the world and that such an oversight is unacceptable.
“Upon arrival at the festival, some of the organizers asked which part of Bosnia and Herzegovina we were from, Islamic or Christian. We explained that we come from Republika Srpska. I believe that this was the root of the problem, leading to us being prevented from using our flag alongside the BiH flag,” Knežević said, adding that the organizers did not make any effort to explain why they banned the display of the Republika Srpska flag.
However, he pointed out that the flag of self-proclaimed Kosovo* was prominently displayed.
“We noticed that the flag of so-called Kosovo* was displayed without any issues, even though there were no representatives from there at all. Someone from the Turkish members was carrying that flag,” Knežević noted.
To recall, the organizers of the Istanbul Büyükçekmece Culture and Art Festival in Turkey objected to the flag of Republika Srpska. During the festival parade, members of the “Veselin Masleša” Ensemble from Banja Luka were prohibited from displaying the Republika Srpska flag alongside the BiH flag.
Source: RTRS
