Turkey and Albania are vigorously developing their relations in the fields of economy, defense and global and regional politics, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a joint statement to the media after their bilateral meeting in Ankara, Albanian Post reported. .
Erdogan said the "remnants of FETO" continued to cast "a shadow over our relations".
FETO is ideologically led by Fethullah Gülen, a staunch opponent of Erdogan who has been in exile in the United States for years.
However, Erdogan emphasized that he was very pleased to welcome Rama to the first meeting of the bilateral Cooperation Council.
"Last year we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Cooperation continues," said the Turkish president.
According to him, at this first meeting, the determination to raise relations between the two countries to a higher level was confirmed.
He expressed confidence that Turkey and Albania are two countries that have contributed to the establishment of peace and stability in the Balkanites.
"In the coming years, we will continue our dialogue and cooperation regarding the Balkans. We are determined to deepen ties in the field of defense and military affairs. This is also shown by the military framework agreement that was signed today," Erdogan said.
He placed emphasis on economic cooperation, in which he expressed his conviction that the goal is for the volume of trade to reach the figure of 2 billion dollars.
For his part, Edi Rama said that the Fier Memorial Hospital in Albania, established in a record time by Turkey, is a vanguard of the reform of the country's hospital system.
In his speech, he recalled the assistance provided to Turkey to overcome the earthquakes of 2023, the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the recognition of Kosovo's independence in record time.
Rama also noted a 30% increase in the number of Turkish tourists in Albania.
The two leaders stressed the need for the creation of two states as a solution to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
"There is no discussion of pain and concern about what is happening in Gaza. We are convinced that it is time for a cease-fire, which must be tied to the release of the hostages. It must be guaranteed by the joint forces of 5 countries from Middle East and Turkey," they said.
The two government cabinets - the Turkish and the Albanian - signed 6 draft memoranda of understanding in the fields of tourism, defense, media environment, etc. /BGNES