Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned during his Monday visit to Tirana what he called the “cleansing of the last remnants of the FETO organization”, led by cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara accuses of terrorist activities and as responsible for the failed state coup in 2016.
In a statement after his meeting with his Albanian counterpart Igli Hasani, the head of Turkish diplomacy expressed that he had highlighted “Turkey’s sensitivity to this issue and the concrete steps that could be taken for it”.
For several years, almost all senior Turkish officials who have visited Tirana have asked the Albanian authorities not to allow so-called “Gülenists” to carry out their activities in Albania.
Two years ago, President Tayyip Erdogan warned that this issue would be decisive in the relations between the two countries. According to Turkey, members of the FETO organization operate in various fields in Albania, including the leadership of the Albanian Muslim Community. This element has caused the suspension and inauguration of the Namazgah Mosque in Tirana.
Albanian authorities have publicly adhered to the position that they treat this case in accordance with the Albanian Constitution and law, as well as in respect of obligations arising from international conventions and the European Union accession process.
Beyond this issue, the relations between the two countries were evaluated by both parties to be at a very close level. The fact that Albania is the first country in a tour that includes visits by the Turkish Foreign Minister to Romania and Bulgaria is seen as a sign of the importance Ankara attaches to relations with Tirana. On the other hand, Prime Minister Rama is known for his close relationship with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has often been criticized for his authoritarian methods in leading his country.
Both countries signed the Strategic Partnership Declaration in January 2021, and the agreements signed between the two countries extend to a wide range of fields, from technology to transportation, energy, defense, health, tourism, education, environment, and culture. Turkey, as noted by Albanian Foreign Minister Hasani, is one of the largest investors in Albania “with around 3.7 billion euros, while more than 15,000 Albanians are employed by 830 Turkish companies operating in our country”.
According to data, Turkey sends construction materials, metals, and textiles worth 84 billion lek to Albania, which exports chemicals and plastics, earning 5 to 6 billion lek each year.
Even investments from Turkish capital companies in the last decade have doubled, ranking this country as Albania’s fourth-largest trading partner after the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Italy.
The sectors where Turkish investors dominate are banking, heavy industry including steel production and processing, construction, and the energy sector.
