An incident at Chisinau International Airport has highlighted growing tensions between central authorities and representatives of Gagauzia.
Officials Miss Flight After Lengthy Checks
Mihail Vlah, advisor to the Bashkan of Gagauzia, and Ilia Uzun, deputy head of the regional executive committee, were unable to board a flight to Turkey after being held for several hours by border police.
According to both officials, document checks were prolonged without explanation, causing them to miss their scheduled departure.
Allegations of Political Pressure
Speaking from the airport, Vlah said this was not the first such incident. However, he noted that while previous checks lasted one to two hours, this time the delay exceeded four hours.
He described the situation as politically motivated:
“This is pressure for expressing opinions that do not align with the current authorities.”
Uzun echoed these claims, accusing the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity of suppressing dissent and creating what he described as a “totalitarian environment.”
No Official Explanation
Both officials stated that they arrived at the airport well in advance but were subjected to repeated questioning and searches. They also emphasized that no legal justification for the detention was provided.
As of now, Moldovan authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Growing Political Tensions
The episode underscores ongoing friction between Chisinau and Comrat.
Representatives of the autonomy increasingly speak of systematic pressure, while the central government maintains its course without public clarification in this case.
