Balkans | NATO made a statement about Kosovo’s purchase of the Turkish-made Bayraktar SİHA

NATO’s reaction to Kosovo’s purchase of Turkish-made Bayraktars. In the statement, the statement stressed that the Kosovo Force is responsible for Kosovo’s airspace.

The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle from Kosovo, which has been the scene of ethnic tensions in recent months, has received a response from NATO. In a statement issued today by the NATO KFOR peacekeeping force operating in the region, it was recalled that the KFOR peacekeeping force is responsible for the country’s airspace. “The KP Peace Corps Commander is primarily responsible for all types of unmanned aerial vehicles, including the Bayraktar TB2, and arrangements for them,” the statement said.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that they had bought SİHA from Turkey in a Facebook post with a photo in front of Bayraktar TB2 on the weekend. Kurti, who did not share information about how many SİHAs were purchased or how much was paid for these purchased planes, emphasized that Kosovo is safer with new SİHAs.

In addition, while the purpose of using Bayraktar, the first SİHA in Kosovo, in the region of tension is not specified, Kurti also noted that they have increased the number of soldiers in the Kosovo Army by 80 percent and the defense budget by 100 percent in the two years that have taken place. their time in power.

The goal is to create an army of 5,000 regulars and 3,000 reservists

The Republic of Kosovo, with a population of 1,800,000, which declared its independence in 2008, aims to create an army of 5,000 regular soldiers and 3,000 reservists. Apart from defence, the Kosovo Army also has civilian duties such as firefighting. The military also undertakes tasks such as combating or recovering explosives from war.

More than 4,500 troops from 27 allies and partners are still serving in the country under NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission. The Kosovo Force has been stationed in the region since the 1998-1999 war between Albanian militias fighting for independence and Serb forces.

Serbia, which considers Kosovo as part of its territory, does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Kurti will meet his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels this week to discuss de-escalating tensions in the region.

In Kosovo, where about 50 thousand Serbs live, the most serious ethnic tension in the country’s history took place in May of this year. When Serbs, who make up the majority in the Kosovo city of Zvecan, tried to prevent the newly elected Albanian mayor from entering the city hall as a result of elections they boycotted, police intervened with tear gas to disperse the crowd and the mayor escorted them to the building. While Kosovo held Serbia responsible for the events, it also put the Serbian army on high alert.

source: Deutsche Welle