Radic: Exercise between KSF and Albanian Army part of aggressive Turkish project for penetration into the Balkans

Military analyst Aleksandar Radic believes that the recent joint exercise between the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) and the Albanian Armed Forces at the Biza base should be viewed within the broader context of Turkey's aggressive neo-Ottoman project to penetrate the Balkans.

"The true message of the joint exercises between the Albanian army and the KSF is actually in the shadows. Turkey is the common denominator for both armies. They are now part of Turkey's project to penetrate the Balkans, which is materializing through the delivery of weapons, military equipment, and intensive training efforts with their partners in the Balkans," Radic told Kosovo Online.

He explains that Kosovo intensified its procurement of weapons and military equipment after changing the law in 2018, and that Turkey, rather than Western countries, plays a crucial role in this process when it comes to more significant acquisitions.

"After the legislative package concerning the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) was changed in 2018, limits on weapons and military equipment were lifted. Meanwhile, KFOR adheres to the old law and maintains restrictions. Western countries arm the KSF, but they mainly provide light armored vehicles such as the American M-1017, which are primarily for military-police purposes, HMMWVs, automatic rifles, and the like. However, Turkey has shown a desire to significantly enhance the KSF's capabilities, giving them access to greater firepower. As a result, Turkey has delivered 120 mm self-propelled mortars, a battalion-level fire support weapon, as well as 60 mm and 81 mm mortars and various other weapons," Radic enumerated.

He also noted that Kosovo has TB2 "Bayraktar" drones, highly capable and powerful unmanned aerial vehicles that can be used for reconnaissance as well as for combat operations.

"Turkey has supplied the same equipment to the Albanian army and coordinates training: some courses by Turkish manufacturers are organized in Turkey, some in Kosovo, and some in Albania. Recently, an exercise was held in Albania to check the readiness of fire support units under the command of Tirana and Pristina," Radic emphasized.

He pointed out that Turkey, in selling arms, was driven by commercial interests until a few years ago, but today it is guided solely by political interests.

"Turkey's neo-Ottoman policy has become very aggressive. They want to show their flag from the Balkans to Central Asia and south to Sudan. Turkey sends troops where needed, and arms where needed. A few years ago, Turkey was interested in selling a few vehicles to Kosovo Security Forces for commercial reasons, but now it’s part of their policy. Kosovo Security Forces, Albania, and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are recipients of Turkish donations. Consequently, Turkish state money is directed to state and private companies that supply arms to these countries. Now, this clearly reflects a policy aimed at demonstrating Turkish presence, establishing Turkish power, and showing their flag and mortar," Radic concluded.

He adds that a significant question is how to build relations with Turkey when it clearly shows that it has main favorites in the Balkans.

"The weapons that Turkey delivers to the KSF and Albania indicate who is trusted by official Ankara," he emphasizes.

Radic stresses that the arming of Kosovo and the region should also be viewed through the broader context of "old rules of the game" returning to the scene.

"Everyone is now arming themselves. Since Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine, the world has changed. We are heading towards the militarization of societies, and the old rules of the game are coming back into force. In this context, in the Balkans, everyone except BiH is buying weapons, and it is natural to work on raising the combat readiness of the army, which naturally leads to exercises," Radic points out.

When asked whether the recent exercise of the KSF and the Albanian Armed Forces at the Biza base could be interpreted as a counterpart to the exercises of the Serbian Army on the Pester Plateau, Radic says that this is a wrong comparison because the exercise in Albania was solely aimed at training Albanian and Kosovo security forces to use Turkish weapons.

"This has its own dynamics and is related to the delivery schedules and the integration of the weapons into the units that received them. Of course, primarily in a political sense, this confirms the strong Turkish presence and, from a Serbian perspective, the growing, albeit limited, offensive capabilities of the KSF," Radic concludes.