Kosovo–Turkey relations

Kosovan–Turkish relations

Kosovo	Turkey

Kosovan–Turkish relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Kosovo and Turkey. When Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, Turkey became one of the first countries to announce officially about recognition of sovereign Kosovo. Turkey turned its coordination office in Pristina into an embassy after a cabinet decision to open a mission in Kosovo. The decision comes in accordance with the reciprocity principle common in diplomatic relations, when Kosovo announced that it was planning to open one of its first foreign missions in Ankara. The ethnic Albanian Kosovars living in Turkey is estimated to be higher than those living in Kosovo. Kosovo is the home country of Mehmet Akif Ersoy, writer of the Turkish National Anthem, and many others. There are 20,000 Turks living in Kosovo. Also Turkish is one of the official regional languages of Kosovo.

When the Ottomans melt in Macedonian area, from Kosova lots of Turkish people and Albanian people migrated to Turkey so that relation between two countries are active.

Military

Turkey participated in the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, which resulted in a UN administration of Kosovo and then to eventual independence. Turkey currently has 540 troops serving in Kosovo as peacekeepers in the NATO led Kosovo Force.

See also

• Foreign relations of Kosovo
• Foreign relations of Turkey
• Turks in Kosovo

Notes and references

Notes:

a.	^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, while Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory. Its independence is recognised by 88 UN member states.

References:

External links

• Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Kosovo