PRISTINA, Kosovo
There is no military solution to the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia, Turkish Ambassador Tunc Angili said in Pristina, stressing the importance of dialogue to resolve all problems and offering Ankara’s participation if the parties wish.
“Turkey, like many other countries, believes that the only way to resolve the problems between Kosovo and Serbia is through dialogue. There is no military solution to this problem. It can only be resolved through dialogue,” Angili told Anadolu in an interview about Turkey’s politics. policy for the region.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has been recognized by many countries, including Turkey. But Belgrade has never recognized Kosovo and maintains that it is still part of Serbia.
Turkey’s support for strengthening the capabilities of Kosovo’s security forces in certain areas is not aimed at any other country, including Serbia, the ambassador said.
According to Angili, Türkiye advocates for permanent stability and peace in the Balkans.
“Our policy is clear… we are trying to develop equal and mutually beneficial relations with all the Balkans. This is the same for Kosovo and other Balkan countries. As such, it strengthens the position of Turkey as a reliable actor.” he said.
Angili said Turkey can contribute to the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia if both sides request it.
In response to a question on the issue of electricity distribution, the ambassador said that Turkey is carrying out intensive diplomacy to resolve the electricity distribution conflict that has been going on since 1999 in the Serb-majority municipalities of northern Kosovo .
The envoy said that one of Turkey’s most important goals in 2024 is to deepen economic cooperation with Kosovo.
“We believe that if we no longer see this economic cooperation, it will benefit both Kosovo’s employment and exports. This will be one of the most important goals of Turkey-Kosovo relations in 2024 to deepen and diversify the economic cooperation,” he said.
Speaking about Kosovo’s next census, which will take place in April, the ambassador said that Turks are an essential element in maintaining Kosovo as an independent, free and self-sufficient republic.
“I believe that the Turkish community (in Kosovo) will approach the census issue as a national issue before politics, and I hope that we will know the real number of Kosovo Turks once the census is completed,” Angili said.
Kosovo and Serbia are frequently embroiled in a series of disputes and crises as one attempts to build an independent nation and country while the other considers it its territory.
Albanians are by far the largest ethnic group in Kosovo, followed by Serbs, about half of whom live in the north.
The European Union facilitated a dialogue process for parties to resolve their differences and reach an agreement to move forward towards EU membership.
Under a UN Security Council resolution, NATO has led a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo since 1999. Currently, the mission has approximately 4,500 troops provided by 27 NATO allies and partners .
Türkiye took command of the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) on October 9.
Among NATO’s 27 member and partner countries, Turkey has the second largest KFOR contingent, with 780 of its approximately 4,500 troops.
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