Monday's Pristina thoughts

I am starting a new series of Mondays, trying to cover up last week's events, starting this very Monday with little thought of Turkey in Kosovo.

It's not difficult to start a week with some thoughts about the events that took place last week. Some people call it “defense Monday morning” because of the people who are usually big sports analysts on Mondays after the matches are held ready to criticise the trainers or players for lost goals and wrong pass.

I'm calling these short texts as thoughts of Monday. Not the most original title (I accept the proposals!), but I'm trying with this new format to pick a topic that was highlighted last week and try to give a context.

You may not agree with all my “definitions” or my interpretations of weekly events, but I will try to use data and facts when I discuss matters in question and I will always be available for a constructive dialogue. At some point, I'll also try to turn these into some kind of podcast. Like I said, I'll try to keep them short!

A Visit From Turkey

Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevluüt Cavuşoğlu was in Kosovo this weekend. It was an interesting visit that brought many titles. Turkey has been a staunch supporter of Kosovo for decades. In foreign policy, it was a fundamental contributor to Kosovo's recognition and international involvement. While serving as Kosovo's deputy foreign minister, I will readily confirm that some very important bilateral recognitions came with the direct involvement of Turkish President Erdogan and Turkish diplomats worldwide.

Turkish businesses are important investors in Kosovo's economic landscape, with large traces in the airport industry, banking system, energy, etc. After our diaspora, Turkey is one of the largest IHD bidders in Kosovo.

However, from time to time, we continue to read and hear the skeptical voices of “what has Turkey ever done for us?”. Some of these writings are immersed in old historical debates by Albanians who “spread under Ottomans”. More contemporary critical voices are concerned about the growing bilateral ties between Ankara and Belgrade, as well as the domestic political situation in Turkey. At the international level, some analysts sometimes withdraw, designing Turkey as Russia's alternative ego in the Balkans.

Very funny, but not so friendly.

Some of these considerations are somewhat difficult to accept. The time of multipollarity in the Balkans has indeed come, but not all poles are equal. The US and the EU have joined in promoting democracy and Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as Kosovo's security. Turkey is a NATO member, and especially in the case of Kosovo has played an important role in economic and diplomatic support. China, and especially Russia on the other hand, are involved in much more predatory practices and an agenda that increases the distance between Brussels and the Balkans.

It is also difficult to accept that the needs and interests of our republic today must be shaped by the interpretation of the events of 600 (or 200) years ago. Our history is not without sin and foolishness. Let historians determine the period.

Internal politics in Turkey is also a consideration for Turks or countries much bigger than us, but I think that Kosovo decisionmakers cannot afford to become moralists or pedants when it comes to any of our allies.

Kosovo's national interest cannot be defined with what happens within partner countries, especially those who have helped, supported and fought for Kosovo.

Recent performances (and suspiciously) public support in Pristina for Fetullah Gylen are very strange. This clergyman has never been a friend of democracy, and he is probably responsible for many chaos that spread in his native country and beyond. We don't need to import antagonisms in other countries in ours. I think we're doing well with our differences.

Human rights organisations or specialised agencies can cover media freedoms in Turkey (or Serbia), women's rights in Saudi Arabia, the work situation in Qatar dealt with or racism in the US. I dare say that we should look first in our backyard, our treatment of Roma and other minorities, our respect for language rights, our situation in the rule of law, and our progress in meeting future EU standards. The candidate for expansion.

Welcoming investments

However, what should be the priority now is getting more investment from Turkey. It is important to establish data directly for past investments.

We still read occasional comments on the internet and social media on how Turkish “company stole KEDS”. They even whispered consideration for Kosovo to nationalism by force KEDS. But data from the ECDS annual reports indicates more history.

By 2013, KEDS ( KEK distribution then) was a public company with losses costing Kosovo taxpayers 50m euros annually and was creating major technical and commercial losses for all taxpayers. Within the last eight years since privatisation, which was greatly facilitated and endorsed by successive American governments, 170m euros were invested in a better power grid, dramatically reducing losses and providing sustainable electricity to the vast majority of Kosovars.

In the same period of time KEDS and KESCO have paid KEK over 1.5 billion euros for the electricity produced by our power generation company. In 2013 the loss rate was about 33% of all families, but by 2020, this has dropped to 19% with many losses caused in northern Kosovo for more political reasons. Even the average salary in KED has increased to nearly 850 euros, which has helped make the entire energy sector attractive to qualified workers.

It is a story similar to Pristina Airport: it is now a much more profitable company, under the concession of the Turkish-French consortium; better managed and bringing more revenue to the central budget then until it was managed by the Kosovo government. The arrival of Turkish banks has also benefited the banking system. While we had a double of German and Austrian banks in post-war Kosovo, interest rates were close to lending practices at about 12%, but with increased competition, mainly from Turkish banks more tolerant to risk, credit rates dropped. dramaticly and now there are about 6%. Certainly, final reforms initiated by USAID also helped.

A new wave of investments is possible by Turkey's big players. The first major wind farm in Kosovo is also owned by a Turkish company. Solar energy projects, enlargement (and the addition) of new airports, winter tourism, are all green areas where there is interest in Turkish companies.

In one of the old blankets of the famous Turkish character (osman?) Nasredin Hoxha well known to our grandparents... Mulla tells Nasredin: <x0... ”

Nasredini doubts and asks Mullen: “may be so, Mulla. But if it's true, why do you sometimes wear a candle at night? Mulla responds: “To prevent others from crashing down on me”

In these dark and uncertain times of the new war on the European continent, we can pretend to see in the dark, but we really need the light of allies and friends to make sure that the things hidden in the darkness” don't crash us”.