Laçi: Ankara has its own geopolitical interests; for the U.S. and EU it is an important, powerful military ally

Journalist and analyst from Tirana, Dritan Laçi, assessed that official Ankara has its own geopolitical interests, which also include the Western Balkans, while the U.S. and EU want to have Turkey “on their side” as an important and powerful military ally.

“We are in a situation that could be called ‘war and peace,’ and Turkey is at the center of these events. At the same time, for the U.S. and EU, Turkey is an important, powerful ally, which is why they want to bring it as close as possible,” Laçi told Kosovo Online.

He explained that Turkey has shown itself to be a key factor in stabilizing the situation in Syria, but that it also has its own geopolitical interests.

“Turkey is trying to take on a dominant role in the war between Ukraine and Russia, and from the beginning insisted that Ankara should be the organizer of peace negotiations to end the war,” the analyst specified.

Turkey will again assume the post of KFOR commander in October, and according to Laçi this is not accidental and is due to several reasons.

“This is related to broader geopolitics, but also to several open conflict zones around the world. Let us not forget that KFOR itself, under Turkey’s leadership, played a very important role in the Banjska attack.

This fact should not be forgotten. It is clear that this gave Turkey an advantage,” the analyst argued.

He added that the situation between Kosovo and Serbia should also be taken into account, as well as

Ankara’s “far-sighted geopolitics.”

“When we speak of Turkey today, we are speaking of a factor that seeks to take on a key and dominant role in peace efforts or ceasefires between Israel and Palestine, and in what is happening in Gaza,” Laçi specified.

As another reason for the choice of a Turkish general as KFOR commander, the analyst emphasized the excellent relations Ankara has with both Belgrade and Pristina.

“Taking into account the good relations Turkey has with official Belgrade—of course not overlooking the investments Turkey has made in Serbia. On the other hand, Turkey is ‘playing’ with what is often called a kind of ‘Muslim brotherhood’ with Kosovo, both as a population and as a state, since it was one of the first countries to support its independence. This may well be the main reason why Turkey was once again chosen to have its general lead the peacekeeping forces in Kosovo,” Laçi concluded.