TIRANA, Jan. 17 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an official visit to Albania on Monday, highlighting Turkey’s close strategic relationship with Albania – with the close friendship between Prime Minister Edi Rama and President Erdogan also being a feature throughout the visit.
The visit started with an official welcome by Rama at Tirana International Airport, traveling together to the nearby town of Laç, where a new 522-apartment housing district for people affected by the November 2019 earthquake was built with Turkish aid of 42 million euros.
“The sign of brotherhood is not when one comes to your aid after being called, but to stand by your brother when he needs it. And from now on we will always be close,” President Erdogan said at the inauguration of the new housing units for those affected by the earthquake.
Rama and Erdogan then moved to the Albanian government headquarters for an event that saw a meeting and the signing of seven bilateral agreements.
The agreements include cooperation between the two state news agencies, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in law enforcement training as well as cooperation in the areas of youth and sports. Agreements on better disaster management and cultural ties were also included.
Rama-Erdogan relationship highlighted
Turkey has increased its political and economic influence in the Balkan region and in Albania in particular during the eight-year rule of Prime Minister Rama, who is known for his close relationship with President Erdogan.
At the joint press conference Prime Minister Rama lavished praise on President Erdogan for helping Albania after the earthquake and during the pandemic.
In his remarks throughout the Erdogan visit, Rama also focused on the importance he personally attaches to the friendship between the two, for which Rama said: “I feel proud.”
Rama also had a response to those who view the relationship with suspicion, saying that “President Erdogan says what he does and does what he says. It is not easy in today’s world, even in today’s diplomacy, to find people who when they say ‘yes,’ they mean yes,” Rama said, adding that the new apartments, a brand new hospital in Fier and the COVID-19 vaccines from Turkey came at the most needed times and were the materialization of Erdogan’s word.
Both leaders were asked at the press conference if they saw a conflict between the growing relations between Albania and Turkey and prospects of joining European Union, which has completely stalled Turkey’s bid and has slowed Albania’s membership process to a crawl. The answer was that there were none.
Rama said the EU is a strategic partner for Tirana, and that Turkey is a great friend, and that the EU would benefit from having Turkey as a member.
“No one in Albania or in Europe should be worried about this relationship, because this is a traditional relationship,” Rama said.
Parliament speech calls for Albania to fight FETÖ
President Erdogan then gave a speech to the Albanian parliament.
In addition to the earthquake and pandemic aid, both of which were substantial, in his speech to the Albanian parliament, President Erdogan emphasized Turkey’s economic impact as a foreign investor and trade partner of Albania.
He also asked Albanian authorities to show “commitment to the fight against FETÖ.” The Turkish president sees FETÖ, also known as the Gülen Movement, as being behind the attempted coup that sought to oust him in 2016.
“Unfortunately, members of this organization five years later continue to be in Albania,” Erdogan told parliament. “We expect Albania to take immediate measures on this issue so it doesn’t hurt our relations.”
Tirana has said before that the judiciary would deal with Gülenist cases according to Albanian and international laws, which often prevent the type of action Turkey is seeking. Albania is also under pressure from the European Union, Council of Europe and the United States to follow its commitments under international law.
The last stop of the visit was at Tirana’s downtown Et’hem Bey Mosque, a historical site on Skanderbeg Square recently reconstructed with funding and expertise from Turkey.
The huge new Namasgja Mosque, also funded by Turkey, has not yet opened although it should have finished construction, partly because the Albanian Muslim Community, which is supposed to take ownership, contains followers of the Gülen movement, several local news outlets reported Monday.
President Meta sidelined
President Erdogan bypassed a meeting with Albanian President Ilir Meta, which is usually foreseen by protocol in visits of its kind.
President Meta is a harsh critic of Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose party has impeached the president and the case is waiting to be heard by the Constitutional Court.
Meta started the day paying respects to Albanian National Hero Skanderbeg, whose 554th anniversary of death was also marked on Monday.
