Civil society in Albania rejects Turkish memorial, starts petition for its removal

The memorial establishment ceremony, with the names of 251 people who lost their lives three years ago in Turkey, took place on July 15th, organised by the Turkish Embassy in Tirana, which announced that the best “and proudly inaugurated “The Street of Witnesses of July 15th” and the “Pork of Democracy of July 15th”.

According to organisers, the event and the victims Tirana City Hall has decided to perpetuate have no link with the Albanian people and nation, and much less with the citizens of Tirana. Three days after the ceremony in Tirana, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced through a photo that he was in Turkey “at President Erdogan's hospitality at his summer residence in Marmaris”, as explained by the Government's own head, not rarely targeted for his close reports with Turkish State head, who has blamed cleric Fetullah Gülen and the terrorist organisation FETO's failed coup.

A few days later in Tirana, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu arrived on a visit to Tirana, who declared in an interview for Turkish media that he had discussed with Albanian counterpart Sander Llesaj but with Prime Minister Edi Rama about fighting all terrorist organisations, including FETO. They have expressed their commitment in this direction”, the Turkish minister said, adding that he felt satisfied by the “the prime minister and interior minister's approach to FETO”. But these movements and the submission of Albanian politics to Turkey have not liked a part of the civil society, which require that a petition allow the removal of this memorial.

Petition

We demand the removal of the “path of witnesses of July 15th”, removal of the appointment “Democracy Park 15 July” and the removal of the memorial plaque with the names of the so-called “responsor on July 15th”, all in Lake Park. The secret decision to perpetuate an internal Turkish event has been taken in violation of Albania's laws and municipal rules Tirana.

The decision was made without any hearing or public consultation, denying Tirana's citizens the right to express themselves for it. The event and the victims Tirana City has decided to perpetuate have nothing to do with the Albanian people and nation, and much less with the citizens of Tirana. The event which City City has decided to perpetuate: there is no significance or historical, cultural or spiritual significance for Albanian citizens; there is no memorial or symbolic value for future generations; there is no historical or cultural significance for the values of freedom, democracy and human progress; there is no support or broad social acceptance among the citizens of Tirana.

We suspect Tirana's actions are personal service to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, motivated by Prime Minister Edi Rama's close personal interests and Mayor Erion Veliaj. As such, they are violations of the country's sovereignty and violations of our national pride. The subjection of our government officials to an autocrat known for the persecution of political opponents, for the imprisonment of journalists and oppression of human rights is also a violation of Western democratic values, which Albanian society aspires to.

Veliaj avoids explanations of Turkish Memorial

Albanian capital Mayor Erion Veliaj on Sunday turned out a direct explanation for settling in Lake Park in Tirana, of a memorial dedicated to victims of Turkey's failed coup on July 15, 2016. Mr. Veliaj told reporters that “there are over 50 points in that territory, where various cases have been remembered, and each is likely to be respected”, but without showing whether a parallel could be removed between the other points, which he was referring to and an event closely related to a foreign country and more with internal political developments there.

Mr. Veliaj limited his response to the criticism such an event has sparked, to the respect that should be shown for the dead, avoiding the core of the debate. “I would say we leave the dead alone and whoever wants to respect them with a candle, a flower or a prayer, let them also rest. Great Tirana has room for everyone. Therefore, for all who were rushed by the heat of August for paper, there has been no offense, let alone treason, or any violation of this nature”. According to the mayor, the fact that what has raised voices on the Memorial issue has not, according to him, expressed concern that the area where it was located has previously been covered by bushes does not give them the right to express itself.

It doesn't hurt anybody. I'm told it's in the corner of the lake, where most of those who complain have never even noticed it covered with thorns and plastic burned and occupied as territory”, Mr. Veliaj told reporters. The memorial establishment ceremony, with the names of 251 people who lost their lives three years ago in Turkey, took place on July 15th, organised by the Turkish Embassy in Tirana, which announced that the best “and proudly inaugurated “The Street of Witnesses of July 15th” and the “Park of Democracy of 15 July<56>. Mayor Veliaj did not explain whose decision was to establish Memorial, and what were the motives of such a decision. And even if there was any municipal act for naming the street or park, which is its competence and the municipal council ending the decision.

From a glance at decisions published on the Municipal Council page, there does not turn out to be one regarding the 15th Witness Route. July 15th Democracy Parquer”. Initially the Tirana City Hall, it seemed to demand to stay away from the event. The American Voice's interest in contacting and interviewing one of the mayors regarding the Memorial issue, a municipality spokesman, said the Foreign Ministry should be contacted. The latter officially explained to the Voice of America that it was not included in any form or way in the July 15th ceremony. In fact, no representative participated. While the municipality was represented at a high level, with Mr. Veliaj's deputy, Deputy Chairman Arbjon Maznik.

American analyst: Albanian government, Erdogan tool

American analyst Alon Ben-Meir, a good connoisseur of the region, has criticised the Albanian government for establishing the memorial dedicated to the coup victims in Turkey. Analyst writes he is shy at the level Albania has fallen, handing over to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Now Tirana has built a memorial for the victim of the most ruthless dictator -Erdogan, who imprisoned hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

The shame that Albania still plays in Erdogan's hands”, he writes in a Facebook post. There are no monuments in Albania dedicated to events taking place in a foreign state, such as the case of the failed coup, which Turkish authorities blamed cleric Fetullah Gylen and the terrorist organisation FETO. Tirana Mayor Arbjan Maznik, a participant in the inauguration, has thrown “topin” The Foreign Ministry, which for the “Voice of America” has denied its involvement in any way in the activities for the memorial or inauguration of the “Street of witnesses of 15 July” and “Park of July 15th”

While in the interview given to the newspaper “Century”, Mr. Alon Ben-Meir has named Turkish presence in the Balkans very dangerous, and all this comes because of a lack of sustainability in Albania and other countries in the region. Ben-Meir argues that: The lack of significant American investments in Albania is attributed to some concerns, among them widespread corruption in both the government and the private sector. Relative political instability, as demonstrated in recent protests, resulted in major investments by American companies. There is particularly strong competition from Turkey, which offers better “”, making the competition of American companies more difficult. The fact that Prime Minister Rama continued to embrace with Erdogan certainly does not help.

I believe that the main concern of the Balkans is the growing influence of Russia and Turkey. Both are working hard to lure the Balkans into their orbit. Unfortunately, Serbia and Kosovo are not careful in their relations with these two powers, and although they maintain close relations with Moscow and Ankara outside of necessity, they do not seem to have a long-term strategic vision that would prevent Russia and Turkey from exercising primary influence that will limit the options of Serbia and Kosovo, especially with regard to their aspirations for membership in the European Union.

Chocolate: I was at the ceremony with Basha's knowledge

Former head of the right-wing councilor group in Tirana's municipality, Kreshnik Colak, has reacted after publishing the video, where he attended the memorial settlement ceremony by the Turkish Embassy in an area of Lake Park. In a reaction to the media, he says he has responded positively to the Turkish Embassy's invitation as DP representative.

I attended the ceremony as DP representative in response to an official invitation from the Turkish Embassy in Tirana. The 15 July day for Turkey has been announced as an official day, and this classifies it as the official obligation to respect that date in interstate relations. DPs like all democratic countries in the world from the US, the EU and others have condemned the coup in Turkey. The Turkish opposition has also condemned the coup. Taking power through the coup is not only a matter of domestic politics in Turkey, but a question of democratic principles based on international conventions where Albania is part, for which the democratic world condemned the coup in Turkey.

Turkey and its institutions have the right to proclaim national days and their witnesses -- this is not our plate, and subjective interpretation is totally inappropriate. In interstate relations each side respects the other individually. I don't know how the procedure was developed for establishing the memorial, so you should address the municipal institutions or the Turkish Embassy. We have respected the official invitation of the Turkish Embassy in Tirana”, Colak told A2 CNN. His statement paints the Democratic Party after this political force, even though it had sent its own representative to the ceremony, moved to criticise the establishment of the memorial in an area of Lake Park, producing Gert Bogdani, who called the act a gaffe on the part of Veliaj and Rama.

Young protest: Respect for the Dead, but this monument does not belong to us

A group of young people have gone Sunday ahead of the memorial to Lake Park set up for falls during the coup against Erdogan. They protest the memorial by expressing their criticism of this monument in the middle of Tirana. Respect for anyone who no longer lives, but this monument is not ours. It belongs to our invaders. It was dated 11/08/2019. Peacefully in a democratic country. We're full of Turks.

We are in their modern occupation, in addition to strategic investments, state-of-the-art police uniforms and ambulances pardoned by Turkey (and the same) which identify us as such, any channel with Turkish soap operas (by instilling Turkishness in every Albanian's brain), the mosque right on the door of parliament (representing itself as a religious state) that was over”, wrote young people in placards placed on the memorial. But it seems that tensions have been traced to the memorial itself. Still unidentified persons have thrown toilet paper and other items on it in symbol of this memorial denial in our country.

A letter has been left on it: “Respect for anyone who no longer lives but whose monument does not belong to us belongs to our former invaders. It took place on 11.08.2019, peacefully in democratic country”. Meanwhile from the Muslim Albanian Community headquarters, where he conveyed congratulations on the holiday of Kurban Bajrami, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj commented on the memorial issue imposed by the Turkish Embassy near the Park of Artificial Lake. Veliaj stressed that there are over 50 points in this area where various events or individuals are commemorated, and that for all those who were rushed by the late August heat, no money or betrayal occurred.