Turkey, Albania upgrade ties to strategic partnership

Monitoring Desk

Countries set to bring new dimension in economic cooperation.

Turkey and Albania on Wednesday signed an agreement to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership level.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama following meetings in the capital Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted the historic ties between the two countries.

“We are planning to increase investments in infrastructure and tourism in Albania. We want to lift our economic cooperation to a new dimension,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president also announced the construction of a new hospital in Albania in three months.

He added that the two brotherly nations will not allow the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) to poison their relations.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Thanking Turkey for aid to victims of the 2019 earthquake in Albania, Rama said they too wanted to enhance ties.

The Albanian premier said he saw a “strong will” to open a new page in bilateral ties during their meeting.

Courtesy: Yeni Safak