FLASH
Shkruar nga Diplomatico | Pamfleti.net
Crisis in Tirana-Ankara relations: Boycott of the Istanbul Summit and signals that cannot be ignored
Albania rejects new regional initiative led by Turkey, adding to diplomatic tensions and severing a link once considered strategic
The long-standing love affair between Edi Rama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to have entered a phase of total freezing. A diplomatic incident that occurred last weekend clearly signaled the deepening of the rift in relations between Tirana and Ankara. On July 26, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan organized in Istanbul the summit for the establishment of the regional initiative “Platform for Peace”, with the aim of creating a Turkish-led cooperation forum for the countries of the Western Balkans.
The logo and name of the initiative, a circle with the star and moon, symbols of Turkish state identity, clearly position the platform as a project directly sponsored by Ankara, parallel and in silent competition with European Union initiatives in the region.
The first summit of the “Peace Platform” was held not in Ankara, but in Istanbul, another symbol of the old Turkish “love” for the Balkans. At this meeting that was so carefully prepared by Erdogan’s right wing, Edi Rama’s Albania spoiled the party for the former head of the Turkish secret service.
This is because Tirana did not delegate Foreign Minister Igli Hasani to the meeting, while Serbia was represented by the head of diplomacy and President Vučić's right-hand man, Marko Đurić.
North Macedonia also sent its Foreign Minister, Timco Mucunski, Montenegro its own Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, who is a fellow Muslim: Ervin Ibrahimovic. Bosnia also sent its Foreign Minister, Elmedin Konakovic.
Igli Hasani boycotted the meeting with a warning, registering Deputy Minister Silda Anagnosti Çepe there.
Kosovo had also registered Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla as a participant in the Summit, but she did not attend because it was the last session of the constitution of the Assembly, a convincing justification. Kosovo was represented at the Summit by the ambassador in Ankara, Agon Vrenezi.
Hakan had taken a precautionary measure to flatter Serbia by not placing the names of the countries on the meeting tables. Which were surprisingly represented by the names of their respective capitals, namely: Ankara, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana, Pristina and Podgorica.
Diplomatic sources report that Albania's boycott was deeply felt by Ankara and was officially conveyed to Tirana through a harsh diplomatic note, now registered by the Albanian Foreign Ministry as an inter-party incident. No such episode of conflict has been recorded in the Albanian-Turkish diplomatic protocol after World War II.
Another signal of the cooling of this relationship is the pomp of the arrival in Tirana for the third time of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed Bin Zayed, specifically to receive a high decoration.
A decoration that Edi Rama has not given to his protector and old friend who has supported him for 12 years. To the one he affectionately calls "My Sultan" when he goes to his office in the Ankara Palace, the one at Dollma Bahçe in Istanbul or in Marmaris.
The rapprochement with the United Arab Emirates is nothing more than a geopolitical favor made to Turkey, which wanted to be the commissioner of Albania's connection with Islamic countries. However, the relationship between Edi Rama and Erdogan has often had such freezes and ups and downs. But most of them have been theater, as a result of American and European pressure. This is both in the case of the Muslim Community, and in other issues, where Albania must remain loyal to the demands of Brussels. However, the atmosphere of humor in Tirana-Ankara relations is very heavy, and this is seen in the pro-Erdogan media in Albanian lands, where Edi Rama is considered a Zionist and anti-Palestinian.
Well, this doesn't mean anything, as Erdogan has often shown that he changes friends and enemies overnight, whom he always keeps very close. But Ankara has a problem finding a supportive political wing in Tirana, as they have disappointed everyone. So it is quietly creating a new party of its own, which will probably never be in power, but will have its strong influence. As the Greeks do. The Sultan, unlike Athens, seems to have thrown a lot, yes a lot of money into this project. In the media and politics! / Pamphlet
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