Haradinaj: Turkish citizens stolen from Kosovo

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, in an interview for the Voice of America, due to be broadcast tonight, said he does not understand the Turkish president's reactions to him, while stressing that no one outside would make decisions on Kosovo's internal affairs.

In the interview to our correspondent in Pristina, Leonat Shehu, Prime Minister Haradinaj said he does not want to prejudge who may have ordered the arrest and deportation operation, which, according to him, was a kind of theft of people from Kosovo.

Voice of America: Mr. Prime Minister for three days have been attacked by Turkish President Erdogan because of your stance on the arrest and deportation of six Turkish citizens, how did you view these attacks?

Prime Minister Haradinaj: Kosovo has a caution in relations with all other states even with the Republic of Turkey. We are grateful for recognition, for support of the international plan for membership in international organisations, now we have applied for Interpol this year and have been very careful not to interfere with the internal work of any other state and the Republic of Turkey. The ban on six Turkish citizens in Kosovo and their deportation has uncertainty -- that is, the way of revocation of residence permits -- is very fast procedure and secret deportation and based on this and the fact that I have not been informed means I have made decisions and dismissed the interior minister and the director of the Kosovo intelligence agency. The president's reactions (Erdogan) do not understand, we do not interfere with Turkey's internal affairs, these are our internal affairs, and nobody will have decisions on Kosovo's internal affairs.

Voice of America: Can these affect future relations with the Turkish state?

Prime Minister Haradinaj: Now we must go carefully, we are careful even as an Albanian people we are a respectable people. But also, everyone must know their borders. Kosovo is an independent state and should respect internal institutional developments, the constitution of our country.

Voice of America: The arrest and deportation of six Turkish citizens continues to be clouded. Who is responsible for this operation?

Prime Minister Haradinaj: The operation has occurred in Kosovo, it is us, Kosovo institutions and political and institutional leaders. Since the operation was conducted by dictatorships, one is executive so the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but also the role of the Intelligence Agency means Kosovo has undertaken the largest possible action and has fired the security heads in the country, it means those responsible have been dismissed, but we have also launched a comprehensive investigation into it.