Turkish arming of Kosovo: Continuation of military cooperation or Ankara’s support for Kurti ahead of elections?

Ahead of the previous snap elections in Kosovo, drones arrived from Turkey, and now a military-financial cooperation agreement has been signed between Ankara and Pristina. Sources speaking to Kosovo Online believe the timing was not chosen by chance and that the Self-Determination Movement leader is also counting on political gains and the sympathy of voters who will once again head to the polls on June 7.

Written by: Veljko Nestorovic

Relations between Kurti and Erdogan are not “excellent,” nor have they ever been, but Turkey will continue to support Kosovo and actively arm and train members of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), the interlocutors of our portal agree.

Military analyst Vlade Radulovic told Kosovo Online that whenever Albin Kurti finds himself facing a certain kind of political difficulty in Kosovo, he turns to issues concerning the Kosovo Security Force, as well as announcements of new arms and military equipment procurements.

“First of all, this is nothing new. Turkey and Kosovo have maintained a strategic level of cooperation for years. Turkey is perhaps one of the most significant actors supporting, in every sense, the transformation process of the Kosovo Security Force from December 2018 until today,” Radulovic said.

As he points out, the cooperation does not relate only to donations of weapons, military equipment, and systems, but also to the education and training of officer and non-commissioned officer personnel.

“These are long-established relations. The third important dimension is the establishment of production lines, primarily for ammunition and small arms, but also potential facilities for drone production in the future,” he said.

He added that signing the agreement immediately before the elections undoubtedly also carries a political connotation.

“It seems that whenever Kurti found himself facing a certain kind of political problem in Kosovo, he resorted to issues concerning the Kosovo Security Force and announcements of new arms or military equipment procurements. Therefore, this is not the first time such things have happened ahead of elections, and it probably will not be the last,” Radulovic assessed.

At the same time, he believes that Ankara, through this move, is confirming the continuity of its cooperation with Pristina.

“This can certainly also be interpreted as support for Self-Determination and the policies of Albin Kurti. However, the moment at which the signing is taking place is also important,” he stated.

Professor Nedžmedin Spahiu stated that Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti timed the signing of the military-financial cooperation agreement between Kosovo and Turkey ahead of the new elections in order to gain a political advantage.

Spahiu said that Kurti and Erdogan are not particularly close, but that this is not a reason for Turkey to withhold support from Kosovo.

“While he was in opposition, Kurti accused Erdogan of being a dictator, something the Turkish president probably will not forget easily. Nevertheless, Turkey maintains its alliances regardless of who is in power. The fact that the agreement was signed precisely now may have been timed by Kurti to give him an advantage ahead of the elections. However, the point is that Turkey is one of Kosovo’s four main strategic allies, alongside the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. These are the four key strategic partners, or allies, of Kosovo. The arming is a message to the region — do not touch Kosovo. That is the essence,” Spahiu believes.

The professor also stated that Kurti likely arranged for the agreement to be signed precisely now in order to gain political advantage ahead of the elections.

Asked who the message of this agreement is intended for — Kurti’s voters, the opposition, or the region — and what that message is, Spahiu replied:

“As I said, it is a message to the region — do not touch Kosovo.”

Marko Savkovic from the ISAC Fund told Kosovo Online that the new military agreement between Turkey and Kosovo was signed at a time when elections are once again approaching, and that it also has a political dimension.

“Kurti maintains relations with the Quint countries, but those relations are far from harmonious. He is not fulfilling obligations from the dialogue, and despite messages that Kosovo needs political stability, it seems to me that he is looking for a way to prolong his stay in power regardless of what is happening with the opposition and the overall political scene. This latest episode involving Vjosa Osmani demonstrates that very clearly,” Savkovic said.

He added that Turkey remains one of Pristina’s most important partners and that, by all accounts, this is unlikely to change.

Asked whether Ankara is directly supporting Kurti with this move ahead of the elections, Savkovic said that Turkey views the matter differently.

“Ankara claims that it seeks to maintain good relations with both Belgrade and Pristina and to act constructively. However, in Belgrade, the intensive cooperation between Turkey and Pristina, especially in the field of defense, is not viewed favorably,” he emphasized.