TIRANA, June 19 – A few hundred supporters of a small political party in Albania on Wednesday held a rally to support Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan following more than two weeks of anti-government protests there.
The peaceful rally was held at capital Tirana’s Mother Teresa Square from the center-right Movement for New Albania Party whose supporters kept pro-Erdogan banners and slogans.
The party is virtually unknown in Albania has is headed by a businessman who also owns a private university in Albania with a poor reputation, according to Albanian media reports.
The rally raised some eyebrows among Albanian observers as this type of rally is unusual for Albania, but particularly due to police violence on anti-protesters.
Anger over treatment of anti-protesters
Police first kept under control a small group who tried to hold an anti-protest about 100 meters away from the rally. Officers then physically removed the small group, accusing them of provoking the larger crowd and having no permit.
Three protesters were detained, and released later in the day following a protest in front of the police headquarters.
Albania holds national elections on Sunday. The small grouping is part of a coalition with the governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, which has made no reactions to Turkey’s protests so far.
