Starovic: Turkey is intensively arming Pristina, which raises the level of risk

State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, Nemanja Starovic, says that Turkey is intensively working on arming, training and equipping the Kosovo Security Forces, RTS reports.

According to him, Serbian intelligence agencies have information that Turkey donated drones, anti-armor systems, mortars, and other types of weapons to Pristina, which is a violation of Resolution 1244, which is why Serbia handed a note of protest to the Turkish ambassador.

"Of course, we followed all these processes intensively, our agencies that are responsible for this have been reporting to the state leadership in great detail for months, about everything that is happening, and of course, in accordance with that, using diplomatic channels, we have warned the representatives of Turkey that what is happening is absolutely unacceptable. Of course, they talk about the fact that it is about some kind of commercial arrangements, about sales," Starovic said.

He stressed, however, that it was about armaments that were not allowed in Kosovo and that the KSF was not allowed to possess.

"On the other hand, based on everything we know, taking into account the budget allocated for the so-called Kosovo Security Forces, they have no money for such a thing, and there can be no question of commercial arrangements, and it is quite certain that they are Turkish donations," Starovic said.

He added that drones had been publicly presented by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and that now everyone was aware of that fact.

"Unfortunately, this is not only about drones of the Bayraktar type, it is also about very serious, sophisticated anti-armor systems OMTAS; it is about mortars, grenade launchers, and all together. Therefore, it raises the level of risks and threats, primarily to the Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija, but also to the Republic of Serbia as a whole," Starovic says.
This, he notes, is not a reason for panic, but it is a violation of international law for which, he points out, Belgrade has adequate answers.

"Someone must answer the question of how it is possible that 24 years after the end of the war, after the adoption of Resolution 1244, the harmonization and adoption of the military-technical agreement from Kumanovo, it has come to the point that - instead of demilitarization - we have the so-called Kosovo Security Forces in Kosovo, equipped with a very offensive technique," Starovic says.
In this sense, he points out, the meeting between President Aleksandar Vucic and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, which should take place this week, is important.

"Because NATO manages the KFOR mission in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, the KFOR mission is clearly in charge of implementing demilitarization. Not only did that not happen, but now we are talking about the militarization and para-militarization of Kosovo and Metohija, and after that, it would certainly be very good and useful, if possible, to convene an extraordinary session of the United Nations Security Council, and to consider all that we have witnessed in the last 24 years, which has intensified in the last few months," Starovic said.

He stated that Kurti openly bragged about arming and pointed out that the Prime Minister of Kosovo had also spoken openly about the fact that the Kosovo Police was the continuation of the KLA, and KFOR's obligation, he added, was to demilitarize the territory of Kosovo.

He also referred to the fact that Turkey was a great power, which had significant political and economic influence in the area of the Western Balkans, and that Serbia had to have good relations with it.

"We are using all available channels to warn our partner from Turkey that this is unacceptable for us, and what is particularly worrying is the fact that Turkey will take over the command of KFOR in a few months in the fall of this year. For the first time, therefore, after the KFOR mission was established," Starovic says.

He emphasizes that KFOR must maintain a neutral approach.

"That is why it is very important that we try, as much as possible, to bridge that period in such a way that we will have good and constructive cooperation with the NATO alliance, which is in charge of the KFOR mission. According to Resolution 1244, KFOR is responsible for ensuring peace, security, stability, and security for all citizens living in Kosovo and Metohija," Starovic said.

He sees the only way out of the current situation in KFOR fully implementing what it is responsible for.

"And that is to demilitarize at least the north of Kosovo and Metohija so that members of the KFOR mission make an effort to completely remove all members of the special paramilitary units of the Kosovo Police from the territory of four municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija," Starovic says.