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[[File:Tirana NewMosque (WPWTR16).JPG|thumb|300x300px|[[Great Mosque of Tirana|Great Mosque of Tiranë]] under construction, December 2016]]
[[File:Tirana NewMosque (WPWTR16).JPG|thumb|300x300px|[[Great Mosque of Tirana|Great Mosque of Tiranë]] under construction, December 2016]]
State relations of Albania with Turkey nonetheless are friendly and close, due to the Albanian population of Turkey maintaining close links with Albanians of the Balkans and vice versa and also Turkey maintaining close socio-political, cultural, economic and military ties with Albania.<ref name="Zamanheritage">"[http://www.todayszaman.com/national_albanians-in-turkey-celebrate-their-cultural-heritage_254383.html Albanians in Turkey celebrate their cultural heritage] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031102644/http://www.todayszaman.com/national_albanians-in-turkey-celebrate-their-cultural-heritage_254383.html |date=31 October 2015 }}". ''Today's Zaman''. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2015.</ref><ref name=Tabak>Tabak, Hüsrev (03 March 2013). "[http://www.todayszaman.com/op-ed_albanian-awakening-the-worm-has-turnedby-husrev-tabak-_308705.html Albanian awakening: The worm has turned!] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717210057/http://www.todayszaman.com/op-ed_albanian-awakening-the-worm-has-turnedby-husrev-tabak-_308705.html |date=17 July 2015 }}". ''Today's Zaman''. Retrieved 17 July 2015.</ref><ref name = Petrovic/><ref>"[http://www.kohajone.com/index.php/english/genci-mucaj-albania-enjoys-magnificent-relations-with-turkey Genci Muçaj: Albania enjoys magnificent relations with Turkey]". ''Koha Jonë''. 14 Mars 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.</ref> Turkey has been supportive of Albanian geopolitical interests within the Balkans.<ref name = Petrovic/> Turkey is seen as a traditional ally of the Albanians and the West and one of the main reasons for friendship with Turkey is due to its support for Kosovan independence.<ref name="AgirArman149150">{{cite book|last=Ağir|first=Bülent Sarper|last2=Arman|first2=Murat Necip|chapter=Turkish foreign policy towards the Western Balkans in the Post War Era: Political and Security Dimensions|editor1-last=Demir|editor1-first=Sertif|editor2-last=|editor2-first=|title=Turkey's Foreign Policy and Security Perspectives in the 21st Century|year=2016|publisher=Brown Walker Press|isbn=9781627345866|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=sF-8DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA150&dq=Turkey+Albania+ally&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20close&f=false|pages=149–150|ref=harv}}</ref> Albania has come to depend heavily on Turkish assistance and a high amount of military security.<ref name="Xhudo5053"/> The current [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AKP]] Turkish political leadership has acknowledged that there are large numbers of people with Albanian origins within Turkey, more than so in Albania and neighbouring Kosovo combined and are aware of their influence and impact on domestic Turkish politics.<ref name = Petrovic>Petrović, Žarko and Dušan Reljić (2011). "[http://www.isac-fund.org/download/Insight_Turkey.pdf Turkish interests and involvement in the Western Balkans: A score-card.]" ''Insight Turkey''. '''13'''. (3): 162, 166, 169-170.</ref> Though Albanians have adopted nationalist interpretations of history through dichotomies of "bad" Ottomans with anti-Ottoman forces and [[Skanderbeg]] as "good", relations of Albanians and Turkey are very good.<ref name="Schmidt-Neke15">{{cite book|last=Schmidt-Neke|first=Michael|chapter=A burden of Legacies: The transformation of Albanian's political system|editor1-last=Pichler|editor1-first=Robert|title=Legacy and Change: Albanian Transformation from Multidisciplinary Perspectives|year=2014|location=Münster|publisher=LIT Verlag|isbn=9783643905666|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=lNqnBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15&dq=Serbian+historiography+Islamization&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=xhaxhi&f=false|pages=15|ref=harv}}</ref> In [[Gallup (company)|Gallup polls]] conducted in recent times, Turkey is viewed as a ''friendly country'' with a positive image amongst a large majority (73 percent) of people in Albania.<ref name = Petrovic/> As of 2 February 2010, citizens of either state may freely visit the other country for up to 90 days without visas.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[SETimes]]|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2010/02/10/nb-03|title=Albania, Turkey launch visa-free travel|date=10 February 2010|accessdate=17 August 2010}}</ref>
State relations of Albania with Turkey nonetheless are friendly and close, due to the Albanian population of Turkey maintaining close links with Albanians of the Balkans and vice versa and also Turkey maintaining close socio-political, cultural, economic and military ties with Albania.<ref name="Zamanheritage">"[http://www.todayszaman.com/national_albanians-in-turkey-celebrate-their-cultural-heritage_254383.html Albanians in Turkey celebrate their cultural heritage] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031102644/http://www.todayszaman.com/national_albanians-in-turkey-celebrate-their-cultural-heritage_254383.html |date=31 October 2015 }}". ''Today's Zaman''. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2015.</ref><ref name=Tabak>Tabak, Hüsrev (03 March 2013). "[http://www.todayszaman.com/op-ed_albanian-awakening-the-worm-has-turnedby-husrev-tabak-_308705.html Albanian awakening: The worm has turned!] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717210057/http://www.todayszaman.com/op-ed_albanian-awakening-the-worm-has-turnedby-husrev-tabak-_308705.html |date=17 July 2015 }}". ''Today's Zaman''. Retrieved 17 July 2015.</ref><ref name = Petrovic/><ref>"[http://www.kohajone.com/index.php/english/genci-mucaj-albania-enjoys-magnificent-relations-with-turkey Genci Muçaj: Albania enjoys magnificent relations with Turkey]". ''Koha Jonë''. 14 Mars 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.</ref> Turkey has been supportive of Albanian geopolitical interests within the Balkans.<ref name = Petrovic/> Turkey is seen as a traditional ally of the Albanians and the West and one of the main reasons for friendship with Turkey is due to its support for Kosovan independence.<ref name="AgirArman149150">{{cite book|last=Ağir|first=Bülent Sarper|last2=Arman|first2=Murat Necip|chapter=Turkish foreign policy towards the Western Balkans in the Post War Era: Political and Security Dimensions|editor1-last=Demir|editor1-first=Sertif|editor2-last=|editor2-first=|title=Turkey's Foreign Policy and Security Perspectives in the 21st Century|year=2016|publisher=Brown Walker Press|isbn=9781627345866|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=sF-8DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA150&dq=Turkey+Albania+ally&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20close&f=false|pages=149–150|ref=harv}}</ref> Albania has come to depend heavily on Turkish assistance and a high amount of military security.<ref name="Xhudo5053"/> The current [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|AKP]] Turkish political leadership has acknowledged that there are large numbers of people with Albanian origins within Turkey, more than so in Albania and neighbouring Kosovo combined and are aware of their influence and impact on domestic Turkish politics.<ref name = Petrovic>Petrović, Žarko and Dušan Reljić (2011). "[http://www.isac-fund.org/download/Insight_Turkey.pdf Turkish interests and involvement in the Western Balkans: A score-card.]" ''Insight Turkey''. '''13'''. (3): 162, 166, 169-170.</ref> Though Albanians have adopted nationalist interpretations of history through dichotomies of "bad" Ottomans with anti-Ottoman forces and [[Skanderbeg]] as "good", relations of Albanians and Turkey are very good.<ref name="Schmidt-Neke15">{{cite book|last=Schmidt-Neke|first=Michael|chapter=A burden of Legacies: The transformation of Albanian's political system|editor1-last=Pichler|editor1-first=Robert|title=Legacy and Change: Albanian Transformation from Multidisciplinary Perspectives|year=2014|location=Münster|publisher=LIT Verlag|isbn=9783643905666|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=lNqnBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15&dq=Serbian+historiography+Islamization&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=xhaxhi&f=false|pages=15|ref=harv}}</ref> In [[Gallup (company)|Gallup polls]] conducted in recent times, Turkey is viewed as a ''friendly country'' with a positive image amongst a large majority (73 percent) of people in Albania.<ref name = Petrovic/> of 2 February 2010, citizens of either state may freely visit the other country for up to 90 days without visas.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[SETimes]]|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2010/02/10/nb-03|title=Albania, Turkey launch visa-free travel|date=10 February 2010|accessdate=17 August 2010}}</ref>


== Economic and Cultural relations ==
== Economic and Cultural relations ==
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The Turkish [[Gülen movement]] based on Muslim values of preacher [[Fethullah Gülen]] has been present from 1992 onward and its institutions are viewed as a counterweight to more conservative Muslim organisations from Arab countries in Albania, especially in the early 1990s.<ref name="BlumiKrasniqi480482">{{cite book|last=Blumi|first=Isa|last2=Krasniqi|first2=Gëzim|chapter=Albanians’ Islam|editor1-last=Cesari|editor1-first=Jocelyne|title=The Oxford Handbook of European Islam|year=2014|location=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780191026409|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=82PDBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA480&dq=bektashi+census+2011+disputed&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|pages=480–482|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Esposito6668"/> Some 7 madrasas (Muslim colleges containing complementary religious instruction) were opened up in Albania by Arab NGO's, although now 2 are administered by the Muslim Community and the Gülen movement runs 5 madrassas and other schools that are known for their high quality and mainly secular education based on Islamic ethics and principles.<ref name="Clayer1424">{{cite book|last=Clayer|first=Nathalie|chapter=God in the 'Land of the Mercedes.' The Religious Communities in Albania since 1990|editor1-last=Jordan|editor1-first=Peter|editor2-last=Kaser|editor2-first=Karl|editor3-last=Lukan|editor3-first=Walter|title=Albanien: Geographie - historische Anthropologie - Geschichte - Kultur - postkommunistische Transformation &#91;Albania: Geography - Historical Anthropology - History - Culture - postcommunist transformation&#93;|year=2003|location=Frankfurt am Main|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=3-631-39416-0|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00189819/document|pages=14–24|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Jazexhi2223">{{cite book|last=Jazexhi|first=Olsi|chapter=Albania|editor1-last=Nielsen|editor1-first=Jørgen|editor2-last=Akgönül|editor2-first=Samim|editor3-last=Alibašić|editor3-first=Ahmet|editor4-last=Racius|editor4-first=Egdunas|title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 6|year=2014|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004283053|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-NTBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA19&dq=Catholic+Muslim+Albania&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|pages=22–23|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Esposito6668">{{cite book|last=Esposito|first=John|last2=Yavuz|first2=M. Hakan|title=Turkish Islam and the secular state: The Gülen movement|year=2003|location=Syracuse|publisher=Syracuse University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=19q9N0IBf9wC&pg=PA66&dq=Gulen+movement+Albania&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Gulen%20movement%20Albania&f=false|isbn=9780815630401|pages=66–68|ref=harv}}</ref> In April 2011, [[Bedër University]], Albania's first Muslim university was opened in Tiranë and is administered by the Gülen movement.<ref name="Jazexhi27">{{harvnb|Jazexhi|2013|p=27}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Islamic university opens in Tirana|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2011/04/08/nb-11|newspaper=[[Southeast European Times]]|location=Tirana, Albania|accessdate=8 April 2011}}</ref>
The Turkish [[Gülen movement]] based on Muslim values of preacher [[Fethullah Gülen]] has been present from 1992 onward and its institutions are viewed as a counterweight to more conservative Muslim organisations from Arab countries in Albania, especially in the early 1990s.<ref name="BlumiKrasniqi480482">{{cite book|last=Blumi|first=Isa|last2=Krasniqi|first2=Gëzim|chapter=Albanians’ Islam|editor1-last=Cesari|editor1-first=Jocelyne|title=The Oxford Handbook of European Islam|year=2014|location=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780191026409|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=82PDBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA480&dq=bektashi+census+2011+disputed&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|pages=480–482|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Esposito6668"/> Some 7 madrasas (Muslim colleges containing complementary religious instruction) were opened up in Albania by Arab NGO's, although now 2 are administered by the Muslim Community and the Gülen movement runs 5 madrassas and other schools that are known for their high quality and mainly secular education based on Islamic ethics and principles.<ref name="Clayer1424">{{cite book|last=Clayer|first=Nathalie|chapter=God in the 'Land of the Mercedes.' The Religious Communities in Albania since 1990|editor1-last=Jordan|editor1-first=Peter|editor2-last=Kaser|editor2-first=Karl|editor3-last=Lukan|editor3-first=Walter|title=Albanien: Geographie - historische Anthropologie - Geschichte - Kultur - postkommunistische Transformation &#91;Albania: Geography - Historical Anthropology - History - Culture - postcommunist transformation&#93;|year=2003|location=Frankfurt am Main|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=3-631-39416-0|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00189819/document|pages=14–24|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Jazexhi2223">{{cite book|last=Jazexhi|first=Olsi|chapter=Albania|editor1-last=Nielsen|editor1-first=Jørgen|editor2-last=Akgönül|editor2-first=Samim|editor3-last=Alibašić|editor3-first=Ahmet|editor4-last=Racius|editor4-first=Egdunas|title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 6|year=2014|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004283053|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-NTBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA19&dq=Catholic+Muslim+Albania&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|pages=22–23|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Esposito6668">{{cite book|last=Esposito|first=John|last2=Yavuz|first2=M. Hakan|title=Turkish Islam and the secular state: The Gülen movement|year=2003|location=Syracuse|publisher=Syracuse University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=19q9N0IBf9wC&pg=PA66&dq=Gulen+movement+Albania&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Gulen%20movement%20Albania&f=false|isbn=9780815630401|pages=66–68|ref=harv}}</ref> In April 2011, [[Bedër University]], Albania's first Muslim university was opened in Tiranë and is administered by the Gülen movement.<ref name="Jazexhi27">{{harvnb|Jazexhi|2013|p=27}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Islamic university opens in Tirana|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2011/04/08/nb-11|newspaper=[[Southeast European Times]]|location=Tirana, Albania|accessdate=8 April 2011}}</ref>


In the aftermath of the collapse of Albanian communist regime (1992), Turkey provided Albania with substantial monetary aid and assisted Albania toward transitioning into a market based economy.<ref name="Xhudo5053">{{cite book|last=Xhudo|first=Gazmen|title=Diplomacy and crisis management in the Balkans: A US foreign policy perspective|year=1996|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=9781349249473|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=saO-DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA50&dq=Albania+turkey+ties&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20turkey%20ties&f=false|pages=50–53|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Robins113">{{cite book|last=Robins|first=Philip|chapter=Copping with Chaos: Turkey and the Bosnian Crisis|editor1-last=Gillespie|editor1-first=Richard|editor2-last=|editor2-first=|title=Mediterranean politics. Volume. 1|year=1994|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson University Press|isbn=9780838636091|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=UpC4QJP66HUC&pg=PA113&dq=Albania+turkey+ties&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20turkey%20ties&f=false|pages=113|ref=harv}}</ref> In the 1990s economic relations were more limited as Turkish companies had to compete in Albania with Italian and Greek businesses.<ref name="Uzgel5456">{{cite book|last=Uzgel|first=Ilhan|chapter=The Balkans: Turkey's Stabilizing role|editor1-last=Rubin|editor1-first=Barry|editor2-last=Kirişci|editor2-first=Kemal|title=Turkey in world politics: An emerging multiregional power|year=2001|location=London|publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers|isbn=9781555879549|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=M01_djppi18C&pg=PA54&dq=Turkey+Albania+military+allies&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Turkey%20Albania%20military%20allies&f=false|pages=54–56|ref=harv}}</ref> From the 2000s onward Turkey's involvement and leverage within a political and economic context was deepened in Albania and the wider Balkans, due to the endevours of the ruling AKP party wanting closer relations with countries that have Ottoman heritage and geo-political relevancy.<ref name="Balcer227"/> Turkey has become an important trading partner for Albania with its trade turnover being 6 percent.<ref name="Balcer227"/> Turkey has invested in Albania's construction industry and contributed to 15 percent of all foreign investment in the country.<ref name="Balcer227"/> Turkish construction projects and investments have been toward key areas such as the building of strategic highways and airports and construction contracts in the early 2010s totaled $580 million in Albania.<ref name="Balcer227">{{cite book|last=Balcer|first=Adam|chapter=Turkey as a Stakeholder and Contributor to Regional Security in the Western Balkans|editor1-last=Canan-Sokullu|editor1-first=Ebru|title=Debating security in Turkey: Challenges and changes in the twenty-first century|year=2012|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=9780739148716|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=CIm-5y4vPy0C&pg=PA227&dq=Albania+turkey+trade&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20turkey%20trade&f=false|pages=227|ref=harv}}</ref> The main state run Turkish Muslim organisation [[Presidency of Religious Affairs|Diyanet]] has funded and started construction of the [[Great Mosque of Tirana|Great Mosque of Tiranë]] in 2015.<ref name= Economist/><ref name="Return5911">{{cite report|title=Return to Instability: How migration and great power politics threaten the Western Balkans|url=http://www.ecfr.eu/page/-/ECFR_163_RETURN_TO_INSTABILITY.pdf|publisher=European Council on Foreign Relations|date=2015|pages=5, 9–11|ref=Return to Instability}}</ref> The mosque will be the Balkans largest with minarets 50 meters high and a dome of 30 meters built on a 10,000-square-meter parcel of land near Albania's parliament building able to accommodate up to 4,500 worshipers.<ref name= Economist>{{cite web|title= Mosqued objectives:Turkey is sponsoring Islam abroad to extend its prestige and power|url=http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21688926-turkey-sponsoring-islam-abroad-extend-its-prestige-and-power-mosqued-objectives/|publisher=Economist|accessdate=23 January 2016}}"</ref><ref name= Hurriyetobjectives >{{cite web|title=Turkey's mosque project in Albania on schedule, says engineer|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-mosque-project-in-albania-on-schedule-says-engineer--.aspx?pageID=238&nID=95880&NewsCatID=354|publisher=Hurriyet|accessdate=17 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.albanianscreen.tv/pages/news_detail/61717/ENG|work=Albanian Screen TV|title=Namazgja mosque, Berisha: The denied right was made just|date=April 20, 2013|accessdate=January 4, 2015}}</ref> International assistance from oversees organisations such as the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency ([[Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency|TIKA]]) have also helped finance the restoration of Ottoman era mosques.<ref name="Jazexhi2426">{{cite book|last=Jazexhi|first=Olsi|chapter=Albania|editor1-last=Nielsen|editor1-first=Jørgen|editor2-last=Akgönül|editor2-first=Samim|editor3-last=Alibašić|editor3-first=Ahmet|editor4-last=Racius|editor4-first=Egdunas|title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 5|year=2013|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004255869|url=https://books.google.de/books?id=ia5AAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA351&lpg=PA351&dq=yearbook+islam+europa+albania&source=bl&ots=NfP5NcIwYX&sig=VvUvHqlH8VrkDQyN-CUgs0UweoA&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFgv7GkbzLAhWCBSwKHXbmABAQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=albania&f=false|pages=24–26|ref=harv}}</ref>
In the aftermath of the collapse of Albanian communist regime (1992), Turkey provided Albania with substantial monetary aid and assisted Albania toward transitioning into a market based economy.<ref name="Xhudo5053">{{cite book|last=Xhudo|first=Gazmen|title=Diplomacy and crisis management in the Balkans: A US foreign policy perspective|year=1996|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=9781349249473|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=saO-DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA50&dq=Albania+turkey+ties&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20turkey%20ties&f=false|pages=50–53|ref=harv}}</ref><ref name="Robins113">{{cite book|last=Robins|first=Philip|chapter=Copping with Chaos: Turkey and the Bosnian Crisis|editor1-last=Gillespie|editor1-first=Richard|editor2-last=|editor2-first=|title=Mediterranean politics. Volume. 1|year=1994|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson University Press|isbn=9780838636091|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=UpC4QJP66HUC&pg=PA113&dq=Albania+turkey+ties&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20turkey%20ties&f=false|pages=113|ref=harv}}</ref> In the 1990s economic relations were more limited as Turkish companies had to compete in Albania with Italian and Greek businesses.<ref name="Uzgel5456">{{cite book|last=Uzgel|first=Ilhan|chapter=The Balkans: Turkey's Stabilizing role|editor1-last=Rubin|editor1-first=Barry|editor2-last=Kirişci|editor2-first=Kemal|title=Turkey in world politics: An emerging multiregional power|year=2001|location=London|publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers|isbn=9781555879549|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=M01_djppi18C&pg=PA54&dq=Turkey+Albania+military+allies&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Turkey%20Albania%20military%20allies&f=false|pages=54–56|ref=harv}}</ref> From the 2000s onward Turkey's involvement and leverage within a political and economic context was deepened in Albania and the wider Balkans, due to the endevours of the ruling AKP party wanting closer relations with countries that have Ottoman heritage and geo-political relevancy.<ref name="Balcer227"/> Turkey has become an important trading partner for Albania with its trade turnover being 6 percent.<ref name="Balcer227"/> Turkey has invested in Albania's construction industry and contributed to 15 percent of all foreign investment in the country.<ref name="Balcer227"/> Turkish construction projects and investments have been toward key areas such as the building of strategic highways and airports construction contracts in the early 2010s totaled $580 million in Albania.<ref name="Balcer227">{{cite book|last=Balcer|first=Adam|chapter=Turkey as a Stakeholder and Contributor to Regional Security in the Western Balkans|editor1-last=Canan-Sokullu|editor1-first=Ebru|title=Debating security in Turkey: Challenges and changes in the twenty-first century|year=2012|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=9780739148716|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=CIm-5y4vPy0C&pg=PA227&dq=Albania+turkey+trade&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Albania%20turkey%20trade&f=false|pages=227|ref=harv}}</ref> The main state run Turkish Muslim organisation [[Presidency of Religious Affairs|Diyanet]] has funded and started construction of the [[Great Mosque of Tirana|Great Mosque of Tiranë]] in 2015.<ref name= Economist/><ref name="Return5911">{{cite report|title=Return to Instability: How migration and great power politics threaten the Western Balkans|url=http://www.ecfr.eu/page/-/ECFR_163_RETURN_TO_INSTABILITY.pdf|publisher=European Council on Foreign Relations|date=2015|pages=5, 9–11|ref=Return to Instability}}</ref> The mosque will be the Balkans largest with minarets 50 meters high and a dome of 30 meters built on a 10,000-square-meter parcel of land near Albania's parliament building able to accommodate up to 4,500 worshipers.<ref name= Economist>{{cite web|title= Mosqued objectives:Turkey is sponsoring Islam abroad to extend its prestige and power|url=http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21688926-turkey-sponsoring-islam-abroad-extend-its-prestige-and-power-mosqued-objectives/|publisher=Economist|accessdate=23 January 2016}}"</ref><ref name= Hurriyetobjectives >{{cite web|title=Turkey's mosque project in Albania on schedule, says engineer|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-mosque-project-in-albania-on-schedule-says-engineer--.aspx?pageID=238&nID=95880&NewsCatID=354|publisher=Hurriyet|accessdate=17 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.albanianscreen.tv/pages/news_detail/61717/ENG|work=Albanian Screen TV|title=Namazgja mosque, Berisha: The denied right was made just|date=April 20, 2013|accessdate=January 4, 2015}}</ref> International assistance from oversees organisations such as the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency ([[Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency|TIKA]]) have also helped finance the restoration of Ottoman era mosques.<ref name="Jazexhi2426">{{cite book|last=Jazexhi|first=Olsi|chapter=Albania|editor1-last=Nielsen|editor1-first=Jørgen|editor2-last=Akgönül|editor2-first=Samim|editor3-last=Alibašić|editor3-first=Ahmet|editor4-last=Racius|editor4-first=Egdunas|title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 5|year=2013|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004255869|url=https://books.google.de/books?id=ia5AAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA351&lpg=PA351&dq=yearbook+islam+europa+albania&source=bl&ots=NfP5NcIwYX&sig=VvUvHqlH8VrkDQyN-CUgs0UweoA&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFgv7GkbzLAhWCBSwKHXbmABAQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=albania&f=false|pages=24–26|ref=harv}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 06:18, 19 February 2017

Albanian-Turkish relations
Map indicating locations of Albania and Turkey

Albania
Turkey

Albanian–Turkish relations are foreign relations between Albania and Turkey. Albania has an embassy in Ankara and a general consulate in Istanbul. Turkey has an embassy in Tirana.

Both nations are predominantly Muslim and are both part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.[1] They are also full members of NATO and the Union for the Mediterranean. Also Turkey and Albania are candidates for accession in the EU.

Turkey has an estimated 1.3 to 5 million citizens of full or partial Albanian descent,[2][3][4][5] and many still feel a connection to Albania. The Albanian diaspora in Turkey was formed during the Ottoman era through economic migration and early years of the Turkish republic through migration due to sociopolitical discrimination and violence experienced by Albanians in Balkan countries.[6] The bond between these two nations stems from historical, socio-cultural and religious reasons.[7] Many Albanians during the Ottoman period converted to Islam the official religion at that time and contributed heavily to the Ottoman empire and wider Muslim world. Due to factors such as a large Albanian diaspora in Turkey and close relations, ties between the two countries have been labeled as "blood relations".[7]

Relations

Relations between Albania and Turkey date back from the arrival of the Ottomans to the region in the 15th century until Albania's declaration of independence from the Ottoman Empire (28 November 1912).[7] During the Cold War era, relations between the two sides were suspended completely in 1951 as a result of Turkish entry into NATO and Turkish participation in the Korean War. Before that relations were downgraded in 1948 as a result of Turkish protest at complete Communist takeover of Albania. During the Cold War however relations between Albania and Turkey were without problems.[8] During a UN resolution on the Cyprus question (1965) Albania's support of Turkey generated an atmosphere of closeness between the two countries.[8] In 1969 secret military and intelligence relations were restored, and full diplomatic relations were restored in 1981. The collapse of communism in Albania led to a deepening of economic, political and military ties and cooperation with Turkey.[8][7][9] Albania and Turkey have been viewed to be natural allies due to both states having disputes with Greece and the former Yugoslavia.[8] Due to geo-political complexities and conflicts in the region Albania sought a protector power in Turkey who is a NATO member and has a modernised military.[7] During the 1990s relations between Albania with Turkey were marked by high level visits, military agreements and the deployment of some Turkish soldiers.[8][7] An Albanian-Turkish military cooperation agreement was signed on 29 July 1992.[8][7] The military agreement entailed education and training of personnel, bilateral cooperation in weapons production, joint military exercises, the exchange of military delegations and joint commissions on expanding further military ties into the future.[7] A month after the military cooperation agreement was signed a Turkish warship was dispatched to the port of Durrës and the action was regarded as Turkey's commitment to Albanian security which was warmly received by the Albanian population.[8] Turkey and Albania have also undertaken joint naval exercises off the Albanian coast.[8] Turkey partook in restructuring Albania's army and providing military aid while the Turkish leadership has expressed that Albania's security is closely bound to that of Turkey's.[8] Turkey has also trained Albanian Armed Forces, in particular officers and commando units.[8] During Albania's unrest in 1997, Turkey alongside other countries participated in Operation Alba by providing a brigade of 800 Turkish troops to restore order and its involvement was mainly viewed as a stabilising force.[8][10] Overall relations during the 1990s between Albania and Turkey continued to be well.[11]

Turkey views its friendship with Albania as important due to the context of relations with Greece.[12] Reports during the 1990s also alluded to Turkey obtaining military bases in Albania along the border with Greece allowing Turkey to encircle that country and such a development would be viewed as a threat by the Greek side.[13] The military alliance during the 1990s between Turkey and Albania was also aimed against Serbia in case a war over Kosovo had a wider regional spread.[14] Greece has expressed concerns regarding Turkish relations with Albania and interpreted them as an anti-Greek measure within the wider context of Turkey allying with Muslim populations in the Balkans.[7][15] Some conservative Serbs are also concerned with some Greeks fearing that Turkey is attempting to revive the Ottoman era.[7] Turkey has denied those charges and its activist approach in Albania has been toward generating stable and secular approaches with localised solutions for problems in the region and to safeguard economic interests in the Balkans.[7] Turkey supported Albania's membership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and to become part of NATO.[8]

Minor differences have arisen over the years in the Albanian-Turkish relationship. In 2012 the Albanian government planed to vote no regarding UN recognition of Palestinian statehood and pressure from Turkey for Albania to vote yes was applied with the end result being an Albanian abstention and Turkish dissatisfaction.[16] The presence and influence of the Gülen movement in Albania has recently been a source of tension with the Turkish government headed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan since it has blamed the movement for attempting to destabilize Turkey.[17]

Great Mosque of Tiranë under construction, December 2016

State relations of Albania with Turkey nonetheless are friendly and close, due to the Albanian population of Turkey maintaining close links with Albanians of the Balkans and vice versa and also Turkey maintaining close socio-political, cultural, economic and military ties with Albania.[18][19][20][21] Turkey has been supportive of Albanian geopolitical interests within the Balkans.[20] Turkey is seen as a traditional ally of the Albanians and the West and one of the main reasons for friendship with Turkey is due to its support for Kosovan independence.[12] Albania has come to depend heavily on Turkish assistance and a high amount of military security.[7] The current AKP Turkish political leadership has acknowledged that there are large numbers of people with Albanian origins within Turkey, more than so in Albania and neighbouring Kosovo combined and are aware of their influence and impact on domestic Turkish politics.[20] Though Albanians have adopted nationalist interpretations of history through dichotomies of "bad" Ottomans with anti-Ottoman forces and Skanderbeg as "good", relations of Albanians and Turkey are very good.[22] In Gallup polls conducted in recent times, Turkey is viewed as a friendly country with a positive image amongst a large majority (73 percent) of people in Albania.[20] Visa free travel was instituted between Albania and Turkey during November 2009 and as of 2 February 2010, citizens of either state may freely visit the other country for up to 90 days without visas.[23][24]

Economic and Cultural relations

The Turkish Gülen movement based on Muslim values of preacher Fethullah Gülen has been present from 1992 onward and its institutions are viewed as a counterweight to more conservative Muslim organisations from Arab countries in Albania, especially in the early 1990s.[25][26] Some 7 madrasas (Muslim colleges containing complementary religious instruction) were opened up in Albania by Arab NGO's, although now 2 are administered by the Muslim Community and the Gülen movement runs 5 madrassas and other schools that are known for their high quality and mainly secular education based on Islamic ethics and principles.[27][28][26] In April 2011, Bedër University, Albania's first Muslim university was opened in Tiranë and is administered by the Gülen movement.[29][30]

In the aftermath of the collapse of Albanian communist regime (1992), Turkey provided Albania with substantial monetary aid and assisted Albania toward transitioning into a market based economy.[7][9] In the 1990s economic relations were more limited as Turkish companies had to compete in Albania with Italian and Greek businesses.[8] From the 2000s onward Turkey's involvement and leverage within a political and economic context was deepened in Albania and the wider Balkans, due to the endevours of the ruling AKP party wanting closer relations with countries that have Ottoman heritage and geo-political relevancy.[31] Turkey has become an important trading partner for Albania with its trade turnover being 6 percent.[31][23] Turkey has invested in Albania's construction industry and contributed to 15 percent of all foreign investment in the country.[31] Turkish construction projects and investments have been toward key areas such as the building of strategic highways and airports while construction contracts in the early 2010s totaled $580 million in Albania.[31] Other Turkish investments have also been toward institutions and projects related mining, banking, energy, manufacturing and telecommunications in Albania.[23] Turkey overall has invested an estimated €1.5 billion in the Albanian economy.[23] The main state run Turkish Muslim organisation Diyanet has funded and started construction of the Great Mosque of Tiranë in 2015.[32][33] The mosque will be the Balkans largest with minarets 50 meters high and a dome of 30 meters built on a 10,000-square-meter parcel of land near Albania's parliament building able to accommodate up to 4,500 worshipers.[32][34][35] International assistance from oversees organisations such as the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) have also helped finance the restoration of Ottoman era mosques.[36]

See also

References

  1. ^ OIC - Member States. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Türkiye'deki Kürtlerin sayısı!" (in Turkish). 6 June 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  3. ^ Deliso, Christopher (2007). The Coming Balkan Caliphate: The Threat of Radical Islam to Europe and the West. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 38. ISBN 9780275995256. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  4. ^ Saunders, Robert A. (2011). Ethnopolitics in Cyberspace: The Internet, Minority Nationalism, and the Web of Identity. Lanham: Lexington Books. p. 98. ISBN 9780739141946. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  5. ^ Yenigun, Cuneyt (2009). "GCC Model: Conflict Management for the "Greater Albania"" (PDF). SDU Faculty of Arts and Sciences Journal of Social Sciences. 2: 184. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-27. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Geniş, Şerife; Maynard, Kelly Lynne (2009). "Formation of a Diasporic Community: The history of migration and resettlement of Muslim Albanians in the Black Sea Region of Turkey". Middle Eastern Studies. 45 (4): 553–555. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Xhudo, Gazmen (1996). Diplomacy and crisis management in the Balkans: A US foreign policy perspective. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 50–53. ISBN 9781349249473. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Uzgel, Ilhan (2001). "The Balkans: Turkey's Stabilizing role". In Rubin, Barry; Kirişci, Kemal (eds.). Turkey in world politics: An emerging multiregional power. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers. pp. 54–56. ISBN 9781555879549. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  9. ^ a b Robins, Philip (1994). "Copping with Chaos: Turkey and the Bosnian Crisis". In Gillespie, Richard (ed.). Mediterranean politics. Volume. 1. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780838636091. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  10. ^ Soler i Lecha, Eduard (2013). "Turkey's potential (and controversial) contribution to the Global 'Actorness' of the EU". In Güney, Nurşin Ateşoğlu (ed.). Contentious issues of security and the future of Turkey. Ashgate Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 9781409498070. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  11. ^ Kut, Şule; Șirin, N. Asli (2002). "The bright side of Balkan politics: Cooperation in the Balkans". In Veremes, Thanos; Soteropoulos, Demetres A. (eds.). Is Southeastern Europe doomed to instability?: A regional perspective. Routledge. p. 14. ISBN 9781135289942. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  12. ^ a b Ağir, Bülent Sarper; Arman, Murat Necip (2016). "Turkish foreign policy towards the Western Balkans in the Post War Era: Political and Security Dimensions". In Demir, Sertif (ed.). Turkey's Foreign Policy and Security Perspectives in the 21st Century. Brown Walker Press. pp. 149–150. ISBN 9781627345866. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  13. ^ Athanasopulos, Haralambos (2001). Greece, Turkey and the Aegean Sea: A case study in international law. McFarland. pp. 115, 140. ISBN 9780786409433. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  14. ^ Vickers, Miranda (1998). Between Serb and Albanian: a History of Kosovo. Hurst and Company. pp. xvi. ISBN 9780231113823. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) "But the essential factor is that Kosovo borders on the Republic of Albania which is militarily allied with Turkey against Serbia, and the mountains separating the Kosovo plain from Albania and from Macedonia are the only natural protection in case of conflict with these countries."
  15. ^ Sönmezoğlou, Faruk; Gülden, Ayman (2003). "The roots of conflict and the dynamics of change in Turkish-Greek relations". In Kollias, Chrēstos G.; Günlük-Şenesen, Gülay; Ayman, Gülden (eds.). Greece and Turkey in the 21st Century: Conflict Or Cooperation, a Political Economy Perspective. Nova Publishers. p. 38. ISBN 9781590337530. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  16. ^ "Albania refused to bow down to PM's pressure on Palestine vote: Report". Hurriyet. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  17. ^ Likmeta, Besar (14 May 2015). "Erdogan Takes War on Gulen Movement to Albania". Balkan Insight.
  18. ^ "Albanians in Turkey celebrate their cultural heritage Archived 31 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine". Today's Zaman. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  19. ^ Tabak, Hüsrev (03 March 2013). "Albanian awakening: The worm has turned! Archived 17 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  20. ^ a b c d Petrović, Žarko and Dušan Reljić (2011). "Turkish interests and involvement in the Western Balkans: A score-card." Insight Turkey. 13. (3): 162, 166, 169-170.
  21. ^ "Genci Muçaj: Albania enjoys magnificent relations with Turkey". Koha Jonë. 14 Mars 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  22. ^ Schmidt-Neke, Michael (2014). "A burden of Legacies: The transformation of Albanian's political system". In Pichler, Robert (ed.). Legacy and Change: Albanian Transformation from Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Münster: LIT Verlag. p. 15. ISBN 9783643905666. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  23. ^ a b c d Bishku, Michael (2013). "Albania and the Middle East". Mediterranean Quarterly. 24 (2). doi:10.1215/10474552-2141908. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) p. 97. "Furthermore, given its historical connections and geographical proximity, Turkey is a major trading partner of Albania. According to 2012 CIA figures it ranks third in terms of receiving exports from that country, of Albanian exports receiving 6.7 percent, just ahead of Greece at 5.6 percent. Turkey ranks fourth in terms of sending imports to Albania, accounting for 6 percent of the latter's imports... Turkey is also the largest source of imports arriving in Albania, accounting for 34.8 percent, followed by Greece (12.9 percent) and China (6.2 percent)... Turkey is also the largest source of imports arriving in Albania, accounting for 34.8 percent, followed by Greece (12.9 percent) and China (6.2 percent)."; p. 98. "Turkish military personnel train their counterparts in Albania and offer support in logistics and modernization efforts as well as cooperate in NATO's mission in Afghanistan. Also, Turkey has invested an estimated €1.5 billion in Albania's economy, in projects or institutions engaged in construction, telecommunications, banking, mining, energy, and manufacturing, among others... Turkey and Albania instituted visa-free travel in November 2009."
  24. ^ "Albania, Turkey launch visa-free travel". SETimes. 10 February 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  25. ^ Blumi, Isa; Krasniqi, Gëzim (2014). "Albanians' Islam". In Cesari, Jocelyne (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of European Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 480–482. ISBN 9780191026409. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  26. ^ a b Esposito, John; Yavuz, M. Hakan (2003). Turkish Islam and the secular state: The Gülen movement. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. pp. 66–68. ISBN 9780815630401. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  27. ^ Clayer, Nathalie (2003). "God in the 'Land of the Mercedes.' The Religious Communities in Albania since 1990". In Jordan, Peter; Kaser, Karl; Lukan, Walter (eds.). Albanien: Geographie - historische Anthropologie - Geschichte - Kultur - postkommunistische Transformation [Albania: Geography - Historical Anthropology - History - Culture - postcommunist transformation]. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. pp. 14–24. ISBN 3-631-39416-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  28. ^ Jazexhi, Olsi (2014). "Albania". In Nielsen, Jørgen; Akgönül, Samim; Alibašić, Ahmet; Racius, Egdunas (eds.). Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 6. Leiden: Brill. pp. 22–23. ISBN 9789004283053. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  29. ^ Jazexhi 2013, p. 27.
  30. ^ "Islamic university opens in Tirana". Southeast European Times. Tirana, Albania. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  31. ^ a b c d Balcer, Adam (2012). "Turkey as a Stakeholder and Contributor to Regional Security in the Western Balkans". In Canan-Sokullu, Ebru (ed.). Debating security in Turkey: Challenges and changes in the twenty-first century. Lexington Books. p. 227. ISBN 9780739148716. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  32. ^ a b "Mosqued objectives:Turkey is sponsoring Islam abroad to extend its prestige and power". Economist. Retrieved 23 January 2016."
  33. ^ Return to Instability: How migration and great power politics threaten the Western Balkans (PDF) (Report). European Council on Foreign Relations. 2015. pp. 5, 9–11.
  34. ^ "Turkey's mosque project in Albania on schedule, says engineer". Hurriyet. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  35. ^ "Namazgja mosque, Berisha: The denied right was made just". Albanian Screen TV. April 20, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  36. ^ Jazexhi, Olsi (2013). "Albania". In Nielsen, Jørgen; Akgönül, Samim; Alibašić, Ahmet; Racius, Egdunas (eds.). Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 5. Leiden: Brill. pp. 24–26. ISBN 9789004255869. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
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