Albania–Turkey relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Tirana, Albania, on Thursday to attend the inauguration of the Namazgah Mosque, the largest in the Balkans. 

The mosque, built in Ottoman style with four 35-meter minarets, began construction in 2015. It will also house a cultural center, library, exhibition hall, conference room, "museum of coexistence," and a Quran school.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Tirana tomorrow, Thursday, October 10th, where he will participate in the inauguration of the new Namazgja (Namazgah in Turkish) Mosque in the Albanian capital.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama yesterday in the capital Ankara.

The Albanian president also attended the official opening ceremony of the fifth Islamic Solidarity Games, hosted by central Konya province on Aug. 9. President Erdoğan inaugurated the official opening of the international games.

"Bulgaria has always been among those countries of the European Union that support the European affiliation of the Albanian people". This was stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a position on the occasion of yesterday's speech by the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a welcoming ceremony with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (L) at Tirana airport, January 17 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/MALTON DIBRA

The complex was financed and built by Turkey for Albanians who lost their houses in the magnitude 6.3 earthquake in late 2019, which killed 51 people and displaced nearly 17,000 people.

Turkey's presidential spokesman on July 2 underlined the importance of peace and stability in Albania for Turkey and the Balkans. 

Stating that Turkey is in cooperation with Albania in the defense industry, İbrahim Kalın told reporters in the Albanian capital of Tirana that, "Peace and stability of Albania is our peace and stability and also the peace and stability of the Balkans."

A Turkish military plane carrying medical supplies arrived in North Macedonia on May 12 to support the country's battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

"Turkish Armed Forces aircraft carrying medical supplies for use against COVID-19 has arrived at the Republic of North Macedonia," the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Turkey has a secure investment environment like other European countries, said the president of the European Economic Senate.

After a week of a war of words between Turkish and German senior officials, it was good to hear Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci's constructive messages on the Ankara-Berlin ties.

Photo: Tanjug

Turkish President Erdogan's comments on "Greater Albania" reflect his fear that a redrawing of borders for Albanians in the Balkans would give encouragement to Kurds in the Middle East, experts told Sputnik.