Prime Minister Rama and the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed in Ankara the formation of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Albania and Turkey, which is expected to push even further the cooperation on various sectors between the two countries. While the meeting of the two heads of state was held in closed doors, Rama and Erdoğan held a mutual press conference, discussing the relevance of the Council. “Our two countries will function as a unique organism,” said Prime Minister Rama, following Erdoğan remarks who considered the Council as a demonstration that now Albania and Turkey are part of a strategic partnership.
Rama thanked Erdoğan for being the first leader to engage “publicly and globally” in the rebuilding process of the places hit by last year devastating earthquake in Albania, a move which influenced other countries to step in as well. According to Rama, Turkey did not abandon Albania also during the COVID-19 crisis and provided important help to fight the pandemic. On this issue, Rama tried to make a comparison with other countries, which not only closed their doors to Albania but even blocked the arrival of supplies for those in need. Although he did not mention any country by name, it looked like it was another critique against EU countries and EU in general, since Prime Minister Rama has attacked the EU on various occasions on this topic.
Rama joked also that he had made a bet with the President of Turkey, whether the investments in the Fier Regional Hospital by Turkey, will be finished within the next three months, with Erdoğan confirming that the hospital will be ready on the 7th of April, just before the next elections. During the press conference, President Erdoğan declared for the media that Albania has always been an important economic, cultural and historical partner for Turkey, emphasizing that Turkey is the biggest investor in Albania, with 3.5 billion dollars of investments, and with over 600 companies operating in the country, and the 4th biggest partner of Albania.
Erdoğan promised that Turkey would invest further more in tourism, infrastructure and culture, discussing also the sensitive issue of FETO, adding that both Albania and Turkey considers FETO a terrorist organization, and that Turkey will help Albania in fighting it. Another promise made by Turkey was the extension of the Istanbul Technological University in Tirana as well.
While Rama did not hesitate to show his enthusiasm for the support demonstrated by Turkey, the political analysts in Albania showed their scepticism regarding the real benefits Albania will gain from this relationship. According to Andi Bushati, “the personal gifts by the Islamist-conservative president towards Edi Rama are being paid with the high price of the Erdoğanisation of Albania,” adding that Albania is the only country in Europe “that has accepted the version of the autocratic regime of Turkey, that the coup in July 2016 was organized by the Gülen movement.” In his op-ed published at lapsi.al, Bushati further analyzed how Albania is going against its own laws just to fulfil Erdoğan wishes, citing as an example the closing of schools and colleges. This influence is extended in various fields, suggests Bushati, mentioning how even the Islamic community in Albania has “changed its leaders after the recommendations coming from Ankara.” Bushati closed his op-ed by saying that the costs of the personalized relationship between Rama and Erdoğan will be paid by the Albanian society.
For the historian and leader of Social Democracy Party Paskal Milo, the relationship between Albania and Turkey has never been “as personalized as it is now,” suggesting that the growth of the cooperation between the two countries has not come as a result of a growing institutional partnership, but more as a result of the personal relationship of the two leaders. According to Milo, an indication for that was the fact that Rama, immediately after winning the first elections, visited Erdoğan. While “for Albania this cooperation has only short-term interests for the daily political agenda, in the case of Turkey it is different, since it is a partnership with long term interests and objectives,” said Milo.
