By Jerina Zaloshnja
If there is a single case in Albania’s post-communist foreign relations where bilateral ties have recognized nothing but steady progress, without even one step backwards, this case is Albanian-Turkish cooperation.
In 1990 when the first non-communist government proclaimed as its priority Albania’s emergence from its very long and extreme isolation, the main goal of its foreign policy was national security. Alongside the request that Albania lodged with Brussels for membership into NATO and a close relationship with the United States of America, the first non-communist Government identified Turkey as the key country to avoid or neutralize the functioning of old alliances in a Balkans that was heading rapidly towards conflicts. After the signing of the Friendship Treaty with Turkey, the governments of both countries headed towards the signing of a pact in the field of defense. The substance of the Albanian-Turkish relations, at the beginning of the 1990s constituted security issues and Turkey’s assistance focused mainly on the military and security fields.
Over the last fifteen years, relations between the two countries have developed, in fact, without any excessive ado. In a very popular manner, Turkey is perceived by the Albanian public as a “friendly country,” whilst according to local studies in Tirana, the country’s elite believes that the Albanian government must regard relations with Turkey as strategic. Turkey was one of the first countries to unhesitatingly recognize the independence of Kosova and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Tirana this week reconfirmed that Turkey supports Albania’s NATO membership. If during the last five to six years there has been talk of Turkey’s active foreign policy in the Balkans, Albania has remained one of its top priorities.
Although relations in the field of defence and security continue to be substantial, what brought about the revolutionisation of the Albanian-Turkish ties is the economy. During the last five years, Turkish investments in Albania have increased twenty times and in 2008 they are worth $620 million. Currently, Turkish investments have been concentrated in the road infrastructure and telecommunications. Calir Eknergi, one year ago, bought the Albanian fixed telephone company, together with the license of a third operator in the field of mobile phone communication, which, according to experts, could break the monopoly of the two companies currently operating in Albania. Turkish investments include the banking system and the field of industry. In the field of infrastructure, a joint Turkish-American group is building a strategic corridor through Albania that will link the port of Durres with Kosova and further in-land.
The investments in the system of education are thought to be amongst the most important in Albania. Currently, the education system in Albania is going through a chaotic transition and in the face of the pyramids of private schools and universities, which have sprung up in Albania like mushrooms after the rain, what the Turkish investments in the education system offers is brilliant examples of how a private investment in the education system is done.
Whilst fifteen years ago commercial exchanges were embryonic, now these exchanges are a serious challenge to Italy and Greece with $318 million a year.
Although Turkish investments have only just begun in healthcare and tourism too, Turkey has such an excellent track record and experience in these fields that it has a great deal to offer and it is a very attractive market for European countries.
And last but not least, including Albania in Turkish plans for energy and gas that will be exported from the Caspian Sea to Europe is looking very much like a strategic investment for Albania.
