Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday visited Albania to talk with Prime Minister Edi Rama on strengthening bilateral ties and also inaugurate new apartments funded by Turkey for Albanians left homeless by the 2019 earthquake.
Upon his arrival he was welcomed by PM Edi Rama at Rinas airport where he was also presented a guard of honor. Erdogan’s visit comes at the invitation of the Albanian prime minister.
The Turkish president is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu, and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
Upon landing Erdogan immediately headed to the northwestern town of Lac, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of the capital Tirana, where Turkey has funded the building of a complex with 522 apartments at a cost of 42 million euros ($48 million).
The northwestern town of Lac was struck by a powerful earthquake in November 2019.
In his speech in a handover ceremony for hundreds of houses built by Turkey Prime Minister Rama, thanking President Erdogan for his help said that it is not easy in today’s diplomacy to find people who say “Yes” and mean “Yes” and when they say “No” they mean “No”.
“Here you can see when President Erdogan says that I have Albania in my heart and what hurts Albania hurts me too,” Rama underlined. Prime Minister Rama said that “the meaning he gives with deeds not only in words to the word brotherhood is the embodiment of what the Prophet Muhammad says” Peace be upon him” none of you believe if you do not want for your brother what he wants for himself.”
Bringing another episode during the time when work had just begun with the Minister in charge of Reconstruction in Albania, Murat, Rama said that “an earthquake hit Turkey, and everyone here was alarmed that now the earthquake hit his house and President Erdogan will forget the reconstruction here. I said I was convinced it would not happen.”
Prime Minister Rama and President Erdogan handed over the keys of the new houses to several families whose houses were damaged by the November 26, 2019 earthquake.
Residents who received the keys of the new apartments thanked Turkish President Erdogan for building the new homes. After handing over the keys, President Erdogan and Prime Minister Rama and those present at the ceremony cut the ribbon inaugurating the new palaces in Lac.
Erdogan also inaugurated the Ethem Bey Mosque in the capital Tirana, which has been restored by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency.
During the visit, all aspects of the strategic partnership between Albania and Turkey and steps to enhance cooperationon between the two nations were discussed.
