Albanian media: We're selling gylenists to get help from Turkey for the earthquake

Every time a Turkish state representative visits Tirana, there is a request made publicly at every press conference; Albania surrender of members of the organisation FETO, orgynist, is known.

This request was repeated yesterday strongly by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during his official visit to Tirana. At the hand of incumbent Minister Gent Cakaj, Cavusoglu said he has requested the handover of all gylenists in Albania from Edi Rama. There are hundreds of FETO members in Albania, even though there are no accurate figures. We have requested their return to Turkey. Albania has taken several steps in this direction, we expect to continue. We do not want Albania to be a security gate for FETO. The presence of FETO members endangers Albania's national security”,- said Mevlut Cavusoglu.

According to Turkish authorities, members of this organisation that have been living in Albania for years or have come here after 2016 are terrorists. Members of Turkish cleric Ftullah Gülen's movement after 2016 are considered a terrorist and opposing organisation of the Turkish president. Meanwhile, various international organisations in the EU and the US have another stance on the attack and imprisonment Turkey makes to FETO members. Many countries in the EU have refused extradition and described Turkey's bid as political and against human rights. Albania has officially refused in part to hand over all members of the Gylen movement to Turkish authorities. The request has been made since 2016, and Prime Minister Edi Rama has agreed to make small concessions and always in a non-public way. Initially, it allowed educational institutions funded by the Gylen Movement in Albania to be replaced by a Turkish state foundation, which has the main goal of reducing Gylen's influence in Albania.

After what is called a coup, a small portion of those wanted by Turkish police saw Albania as a rescue opportunity. Indirectly, Albanian institutions, under pressure from Turkey, made it difficult to stay here or switch from Albania to other European Union countries. Several arrests of Turkish political asylumers by Albanian police prompted most members of the Gylen movement in Albania to leave Albania or no longer see Albania as a country protecting them, but as a vassal state on Erdogan's orders. The event that showed Edi Rama has decided to meet Turkey's demands is that of early January. Albanian police ordered top government officials expelled a Turkish teacher who had sought political asylum in our country. Master Aaron Celik was arrested in July for counterfeit documents while traveling from Turkey to escape prison, towards Albania. After serving a six-month sentence, he was extradited to Turkey without being granted asylum rights and no legal and human standards. His extradition to political condemnation in Turkey was described as a scandal also by European Union authorities, but the government “Rama” named a regular procedure.

Meanwhile, other Turkish citizens wanted by Ankara's authority are awaiting extradition to Albania's prisons. Turkey has seen Albania's move as a positive signal and yesterday Mevlut Cavusoglu said he has discussed the issue with Edi Rama and has seen some positive steps in this direction. So, Edi Rama is obeying or promising to return all gylenists to Turkey. In exchange, it seems to have received the promise of investment in the economy, aid in the earthquake and other issues known only between him and Erdogan. More than the agreement sounds like a threat Edi Rama has accepted, despite the heavy cost to Turkish citizens in Albania and the image of our country as a vassal state of Turkey.

So we're selling gylenists to get help!