Pavkovic: Turkey is "going solo" in Kosovo, Kurti is taking advantage of it

Milos Pavkovic, a collaborator at the European Policy Center, says that arming Kosovo is a way for Turkey to strengthen its neo-Ottoman strategy in the Western Balkans and that in many aspects, Turkey is "going solo" compared to the EU and NATO.

"By doing so, Turkey is sending a message that it is strengthening its ties with Kosovo and with Muslim countries in the Balkans. This is a form of neo-Ottomanism in the 21st century, where Turkey is trying to find partners and bolster its presence in the Balkans. In addition to Kosovo, there's also Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but what is particularly important for Kosovo is that Turkey’s interests, even though it is a NATO member, often do not align with the interests of the EU and NATO in Kosovo and Metohija. In this way, it seems to me that Turkey is going solo and trying to increase its influence in the Balkans on its own terms," Pavkovic told Kosovo Online.

According to him, Turkey's "going solo" at this moment benefits Prime Minister Albin Kurti the most.

"This solo approach is primarily reflected in the support for the government in Pristina and all the unilateral moves the government is making. These are moves that have been condemned by the European Union, the Quint group, and the United States – all the main NATO members – yet Turkey supports them and works on strengthening the Kosovo military. Thus, these are opposing, divergent interests. In this way, Kurti currently needs external support. Since he cannot get it from the West, Turkey is, for him, an ideal partner at this moment.

Consequently, Turkey has seen this as an opportunity to strengthen its relations with Kosovo and, at the same time, increase its presence both in Kosovo and in the Balkans as a whole," Pavkovic stated.