Turkey still supports Kosovo, says president

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that Turkey will continue to support Kosovo. At a joint press conference in Ankara with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu, Gul said that “relations between Kosovo and Serbia” should be based on dialogue and understanding. Turkey still supports Kosovo, says president “We believe that, when the time comes, Kosovo will strongly take its place in the European and Atlantic structures, NATO and the EU,” Gul said, according to the Hurriyet website. Gul said that Turkey was “proud that partnership is being considered between Kosovo and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank”. Stating that “new countries have come into existence over the last 20 years in the Balkans, and that Kosovo is the last one”, Gul said that he is convinced that the “independence of every country must be respected”, and that there must be work put into “improving neighborly relations based on friendship and peace”. Gul said that “stability and security in the Balkans are of importance to Turkey”. “Turkey’s support for Kosovo’s independence and to our efforts to offer a better future for citizens is a part of our history,” Sejdiu said, adding that Turks living in Kosovo and Kosovo citizens in Turkey are the golden bridge of cooperation and friendship between the “two countries”. Sejdiu said that he hopes that Turkey will continue to support new recognitions of Kosovo and Kosovo’s integration into the EU and NATO. Along with meetings with Gul, Sejdiu is expected to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and other Turkish senior officials.

Turkey still supports Kosovo, says president

“We believe that, when the time comes, Kosovo will strongly take its place in the European and Atlantic structures, NATO and the EU,” Gul said, according to the Hurriyet website.

Gul said that Turkey was “proud that partnership is being considered between Kosovo and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank”.

Stating that “new countries have come into existence over the last 20 years in the Balkans, and that Kosovo is the last one”, Gul said that he is convinced that the “independence of every country must be respected”, and that there must be work put into “improving neighborly relations based on friendship and peace”.

Gul said that “stability and security in the Balkans are of importance to Turkey”.

“Turkey’s support for Kosovo’s independence and to our efforts to offer a better future for citizens is a part of our history,” Sejdiu said, adding that Turks living in Kosovo and Kosovo citizens in Turkey are the golden bridge of cooperation and friendship between the “two countries”.

Sejdiu said that he hopes that Turkey will continue to support new recognitions of Kosovo and Kosovo’s integration into the EU and NATO.

Along with meetings with Gul, Sejdiu is expected to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and other Turkish senior officials.