Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed in his comments during Albania visit on Thursday, "Genocide (carried out by Israel) in Gaza Strip, that has been continuing since a year, is common shame for all humanity
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday.
"I am delighted to be in the friendly and brotherly country of Albania for the second meeting of our High-Level Cooperation Council. As you know, last year we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Albania. Our friendly relations with Albania, which are rooted in historical ties and cultural proximity, actually extend far beyond a century.
"We have reaffirmed our commitment to advancing our cooperation"
We have further deepened our strategic partnership, which we built on this historical, human, and cultural foundation in 2021, with today's consultations. At the first council meeting we held in Ankara last February, we engaged in detailed discussions on the areas of cooperation we had previously identified. Additionally, with the joint declaration we signed today, we emphasized our determination to develop and deepen our council in various fields.
Through the three agreements we have just signed in the areas of agriculture, higher education, and public relations and communication, we have reaffirmed our commitment to advancing our cooperation.
We see our initiatives in trade and investment as steps that will enhance the prosperity of our peoples. In this context, we are continuing our joint efforts to increase our trade volume to $2 billion in the first phase. During our discussions, we agreed to diversify our mutual investments to include innovative sectors that will provide advantages in today's conditions. We will also continue our strong cooperation in the health sector with the joint operation of the Fier Friendship Hospital, which we built in a record time in 2021.
We will provide the necessary support to meet the military equipment and training needs of the Albanian Armed Forces, as Albania is our strategic partner and NATO ally.
With my dear friend, Prime Minister Rama, we also addressed the joint fight against terrorist organizations, particularly FETÖ. God willing, with the decisions we made today, we will continue our fight against these terrorist organizations effectively.
We also exchanged views on global and regional issues. We closely follow and appreciate Albania's efforts to promote peace and stability both in our region and internationally.
"Israeli atrocities were among the top priorities of our discussion"
The Israeli atrocities, particularly in Gaza, as well as in the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon, were among the top priorities of our discussion. We shared our views on the Netanyahu government's aggressions, which have now escalated beyond regional concerns to pose a threat to the global order.
The genocide that has been ongoing in Gaza for a year is a shared shame for all humanity. For this reason, it is imperative that we, as the international community, urgently work to achieve a permanent ceasefire, deliver humanitarian aid, and apply the necessary pressure on Israel. I sincerely believe that Albania will also do its part in this regard.
Today, together with my dear friend Edi Rama, we will also inaugurate the Namazgah Mosque, a gift from the Turkish people to their Muslim brothers and sisters in Albania, with the support of our Directorate of Religious Affairs and the Religious Foundation. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this project. This magnificent mosque, the largest in the Balkans, will be a place of worship where the noble values of Islam—peace and unity—will flourish.
With these thoughts, I once again thank my dear friend Prime Minister Rama and all our Albanian friends for their warm hospitality. I hope that our consultations and the decisions we have made in various areas—military, political, economic, commercial, and tourism—will bring great benefits."
