Additional NATO Troops Reach in Kosovo

About 500 members of the Turkish service from Turkey's 65 Mechanised Brigade Battalion will make up the majority of NATO reinforcements”, the declaration issued by NATO said.

This statement says that these strengthening troops will remain in Kosovo for “as long as there is a need for” and that another battalion is also placed on high alert for deployment in Kosovo in case of need.

Secretary - General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, thanked Turkey for sending reinforcement troops to Kosovo's NATO mission, KFOR.

“Turkey is an important and highly esteemed ally, making key contributions to NATO. These include troops for our peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, which is even more important now, when tensions are high”, Stolenberg was quoted as saying Turkey's President, Recep Tayip Erdogan, on 4 June.

From May 29th, local Serbs from the northern municipalities -- Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok -- are protesting to reject the entry of new Albanian mayors into municipal buildings.

On May 29th, the situation has escalated in Zvecan, following the clash of Serb protesters with KFOR members.

As a result, 30 members of the peacekeeping force and 52 Serbs have been wounded.

The boss himself NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has strongly condemned violence against KFOR members.

Violence Has Stood Up NATO engages 700 additional troops in Kosovo, in addition to the 4,000 troops that are only in this state.

The international factor has repeatedly called for steps towards reducing tensions.

Among the requirements are the withdrawal of mayors from municipal buildings and the suspension of police operations in those buildings in the north.

Some diplomats have also called for holding new elections in the north.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti have indicated that something like this could happen.