Albania and Türkiye: Dynamic Defense Partnership - OPINION
By Peter M. Tase, a freelance writer and journalist of International Relations, Latin American and Southern Caucasus current affairs
On July 23rd, 2025, the Albanian Government signed an amendment to the “Financial Assistance Protocol,” with the Ministry of Defense of Türkiye. The minister of Defense of Albania Mr. Pirro Vengu, and Türkiye’s Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, held a meeting on the sidelines of the International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul 2025.
This bilateral agreement will provide the Albanian Armed Forces with 105 mm artillery systems and broaden the scope of cooperation between the two countries. Moreover, it includes academic training, seminars, logistical aid, transportation, and institutional support, to further embolden the strategic cooperation and resilience of the Albanian Defense Forces. Albanian coastline, with over 480 km of maritime access along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, has an obsolete Navy Force Technology and equipment. Moreover, Albania, as a full-fledged member of NATO, does not have a well-structured NAVAL Base on its Coastline, Tirana’s cash-strapped government does not even have resources to clean up the renowned Submarine Tunnels of Porto Palermo, and Pasha Liman Base (that are completely abandoned by the current Albanian Government) built by the Socialist People’s Republic of Albania (1950 – 1974) during the peak of the Cold War tensions and provocations between the Warsaw Pact and NATO Alliance.
During the Socialist Government, under the leadership of Enver Hoxha, Albania had a well-equipped coastal defense force with four Whiskey-class Submarines: three T43 open-ocean minesweepers (built by the Soviet Navy from 1948 to 1957). In 1956-1961 the Albanian Navy was gradually established and consolidated as a separate force; it was imperviously separated from the Army and become a fully independent branch of service; the same path was pursued by the Albanian Air Force.
Furthermore, Albanian Navy was equipped with six P 4- class Soviet made torpedo boats, commonly known as the Komsomolets class: six inshore minesweepers of the T 301 type, four Kronshtadt cruiser patrol and submarine chasers, eleven minesweeping boats of other sorts and two dozen of auxiliary navy vessels. In 1991, the end of the Cold War was marked by the fall of the Berlin War and by a complete dismemberment and total obliteration of all Albanian Navy Assets, orchestrated by Tirana’s newly established post – communist political elite.
Today, Tirana’s defense partnership with Ankara, is geopolitically crucial and portends to defend Europe’s Southern Shores and ensure Albania’s maritime and commercial interests in the region.
As history records contemporary leaders for posterity, tragically, many are misunderstood and thus recorded with a lack of accuracy, comprehension and candor. One of the most eminently relevant yet misconstrued leaders of the Western world is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Despite the frequently inaccurate and seemingly prejudicial rhetoric associated with him, he is, in reality, a reformer and has persistently sought to enshrine democratic and humanitarian values.
Throughout his rather pragmatic over-twenty-two years-tenure, Ankara has become a key player in promoting governance reforms in international organizations, grown into a large donor of international aid, heavily contributed financial resources toward global infrastructure and invested in programs destined to strengthen output growth and agricultural productivity.
Regardless of North America’s mainstream media’s reporting, international audiences are well aware of Türkiye’s enormous leap forward in its geopolitical role and admirable economic growth, the waves of which are felt from Central Asia to Vietnam to Ecuador.
Mr. Erdoğan’s robust and collaborative foreign policy even beyond the realm of Europe and the Middle East paved the way for Türkiye to secure two bilateral agreements with Vietnam (Prevention of Double Taxation; Civil Aviation and Maritime Cooperation) in 2014-2015.
On April 18-19, 2014, Mr. Ditmir Bushati, Albanian Foreign Minister, conducted his first official visit to the Republic of Türkiye. Mr. Bushati’s arrival to Ankara is the continuation of an extensive dialogue and bilateral cooperation between both nations which has gained a new momentum with the official visit to Albania by Turkish Foreign Minister, Prof. Ahmet Davutoğlu, on October 4-5, 2013, as well as the first official visit to Ankara of the Hon. Mimi Kodheli, Albanian Defense Minister, on April 18th, 2014. Immediately after the leader of Albanian Socialist Party, Edi Rama became a Prime Minister, in September 2013, after the general elections of June 23rd, 2013; Albania’s strategic relations with Türkiye were given a special priority and became economically important for Tirana.
According to Prime Minister Rama, Türkiye is considered a strategic partner in Albania’s Foreign Policy Strategy, and his government aims to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation with Ankara, especially in the economic, defense and commercial partnership. Under this framework, in February 2014, was held in Tirana the Albania-Turkey Economic and Trade Forum. In his statement Prime Minister Rama emphasized that Turkish investors will very soon experience a tremendous reduction of bureaucracy and amiable policies towards the opening of their businesses in Albania. He added: “We consider you as ambassadors and promoters of our country in the world.” [1] Türkiye is the second largest trading partner of Albania and its daily consumption products; merchandises and commodities are always present in Albania’s markers. Some of the largest Turkish companies, with a focus in areas such as construction, telecommunications, transportation and education are ENKA, Gintaş, Armada, Metal Yapı, Aldemir, Servomatik, Çalık Holding/Türk Telekom, Makro-Tel/Hes Kablo, Albanian Airlines (Evsen Group), Gülistan Foundation, Istanbul Foundation.
In his visit to Ankara, Minister Bushati had a lengthy conversation with his counterpart, Prof. Dr. Davutoğlu, and particularly addressed the strong bilateral economic relations, international and regional security issues, and most importantly, Tirana’s aspirations to establish a bilateral “High Level Partnership and Cooperation Council” between Tirana and Ankara.
In their joint press conference, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu said that the two countries have agreed to establish the “High Level Partnership and Cooperation Council” and this bilateral body will be meeting in the weeks ahead, to discuss pending items of the mutually beneficial agenda. Turkish investments in Albania have increased by $2 billion and the bilateral trade volume has reached more than $1 billion, from $400 million, only five years ago.
Another item in the discussions were the potential venues of strengthening the cooperation between the two ministries, while placing a special importance to Albania’s EU integration and membership status.
According to Minister Davutoğlu, the Turkish Diplomatic Chief: “We together endeavor for our common goals, will continue to work together at the highest level in international organizations as well. We agreed to establish the Türkiye-Albania High Level Cooperation Council” [2]
In this occasion, the two counterparts signed an agreement and Memorandum of Understanding focused in the bilateral Cooperation of Information Technologies.
Foreign Minister Davutoğlu visited Albania on October 2013; he met with Prime Minister Edi Rama, and Foreign Minister Bushati. During his visit, Turkish Foreign Minister initiated the dialogue to establish the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Mechanisms, that would be highly beneficial to both countries’ economies, trade and bilateral political dialogue.
Albania and Türkiye have maintained a close partnership within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) as well as have been working closely in Peace Keeping operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia Hercegovina and other hot spots in the world. This year, Tirana will assume the chairmanship of SEECP and under its leadership the strategic role of Turkey and its contributions will further be solidified in the Balkans.
In Tirana, Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu met with President of Albania, Mr. Bujar Nishani, P M Edi Rama, and Mr. Ilir Meta, the Speaker of Albanian Parliament.
Bilateral relations between Albania and Türkiye, are characterized by a strong sense of cooperation, friendship, mutually beneficial regional stability and stronger commercial and economic ties.
On October 2024, the bilateral defense alliance of Türkiye with Albania reached new heights of success, when President Erdoğan stated: “We will also provide the necessary support to meet the needs of our strategic partner and NATO ally Albania's armed forces in terms of military equipment and training. My dear friend, Prime Minister Rama and I also discussed the joint fight against terrorist organizations, especially FETÖ. Inshallah, we will continue our fight against terrorist organizations effectively with the decisions we have taken today. We also exchanged views on global and regional issues with the Prime Minister. We follow with appreciation Albania's efforts to establish peace and stability both in our region and in the international arena. The Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza, and in Lebanon were among the top agenda items of our talks.”
Over the last fifteen years there have been multiple official visits undertaken by top Albanian government officials to Ankara as well as the government of Prime Minister Erdogan has kept a keen interest towards Albania. In October 2011, Mr. Bamir Topi, Albania’s president, led an official visit to Ankara, which was a very productive and set the tone for a closer cooperation between both countries.
Mr. Topi’s visit was followed by Sali Berisha, Albanian Prime Minister’s visit to Türkiye in April 2012 and Mr. Cemil Çiçek, Turkish Assembly Speaker to Tirana in June 2012. Additionally, in October 2012, Albanian Foreign Minister, H.E. Edmond Panariti visited Ankara, and gave a keynote address in the International Conference entitled “From Balkan Wars to Balkan Peace” co-organized by the Center for Strategic Research of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Panariti held fruitful talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Davutoğlu and other high-level officials of the Turkish government.
Another important variable in Albania-Türkiye strong bilateral cooperation is the high number of Turkish citizens of Albanian origin living in Türkiye and the attendance of Albanian students and professionals who have decided to reside and work in Türkiye. There has historically been a significant bondage between Albania and Türkiye, even the Albanian language has been influenced over many centuries by the Turkish language. Currently, there are more than three thousand common words in Albanian and Turkish languages, that are used daily in both nations. [3]
Another important aspect is the cooperation in the areas of national defense training, and technological equipment. Albania depends heavily on Turkish forces’ assistance in training and supply of cutting-edge defense technology as well as the reconstruction of Albania’s military bases and their maintenance.
Over the last twenty years, Turkish military personnel, from various branches: infantry, land, naval and Air Force bases have trained Albanian Armed Forces, provided technological equipment and helped rebuild its military infrastructure. Albanian soldiers assigned to Afghanistan under the NATO mandate, are serving within the Turkish command deployed in Kabul.
Endnotes and References:
[1] http://gazeta-shqip.com/lajme/2014/02/27/rama-ne-forumin-ekonomik-cdo-detyrim-per-biznesin-ne-60-dite/
[2] http://www.mfa.gov.tr/foreign-minister-davutoglu-_we-agreed-to-establish-the-turkey_albania-high-level-cooperation-council.en.mfa
https://dailycaller.com/2018/06/22/time-to-cut-erdogan-and-turkey-some-slack/
https://www.tccb.tr/en/news/542/153935/-we-will-increase-our-trade-volume-with-albania-to-2-billion-
[3] http://www.mfa.gov.tr/relations-between-turkey-and-albania.en.mfa
