Mehaj warns arms purchase by Turkey

Turkey's “Bayraktar TB-2”, who received fame after Ukraine's use in war, are already part of the military arsenal of the Kosovo Security Force. The acquisition of these butterflies has confirmed by Prime Minister Albin Kurti himself, about two weeks ago, in his Facebook account.

Kurti did not show how equipped Kosovo has been, but only said the government has bought them from Turkey. And purchases of military arsenal from Turkey will continue in the future.

Signal for this has provided Defence Minister Armend Mehaj, following meetings he held in Turkey with Turkish Defence Industry President Haluk Görgün and company Chief “Baykar”, Haluk Bayraktar.

Buying Bayraktar fears, Mehaj described it as one of the biggest military investments in recent years. According to him, state purchases by Turkey have been productive, faster and safer.

“Meeting with Republic of Turkey's defence industry president, Mr. Haluk Görgün, state purchases from the Republic of Turkey have been productive, faster and safer, so our co-operation in this respect will continue in the future. Our purchases will always be in co-ordination with our partners and according to NATO standards. Our army is equipped with the latest weapons technology for defense purposes”, Mehaj wrote.

Investments in military arsenal have confirmed the defence ministry a week ago. From this institution, they have declared to Gazeta Express that these investments are continuing in co-ordination with strategic and conform NATO standards partners.

What we can confirm is that investments in military arsenal are continuing in line with the Comprehensive Transition Plan, in co-ordination with our strategic partners and conforming NATO standards. And, it's not about donations, it's about purchase”, they've stated by the Ministry.

The butterflies that Kosovo bought from Turkey were last night declared Turkey's ambassador to Kosovo, Sabri Tunc Angili, who said that the arrival of drones “Bayaktar TB-2” in Kosovo was the result of an agreement, rather than a donation.

“Chairman Kurti has already issued a press release and I think he has given the answer. In this post, there has been an interview in a Croatian newspaper, there has been additional details. So it's an agreement, it's not a” donation, he said at Debat Plus.

He said Turkey is Kosovo's strategic partner. In addition to the defence field, he said that there is co-operation with Kosovo in the economic sphere as well.

In fact, we are not very happy to see more as Kosovo defence partners. The reason is because Kosovo is Turkey's strategic partner, even vice versa. To be a strategic partner means to develop all areas, including defence. But in Kosovo we have developed, important even economic co-operation. We have investments in different sectors, in banks, in the airport, in the electricity distribution, in production, and Turkish companies also freeze employment in Kosovo. Investments in Kosovo are 10 per cent of our investments in the Balkans. Last year Turkey has become Kosovo's number 1 partner and we want to have economic and trade co-operation, this is important for us”.

Asked whether more fears will be achieved in Kosovo, the Turkish diplomat indicated it depends on Kosovo's need.

This depends on Kosovo's need, but so far, the Kosovo defence forces are going through co-operation, training and we have some co-operation with military leaders ... we are focusing more, but if the Government of Kosovo wants to acquire any additional equipment on these needs, then Turkey and other states will respond to these needs. So far, there has been something like this on our agenda”, he said.

KFOR response to fears: It takes authorization from us to rise to heaven

A day after Prime Minister Albin Kurti presented the fears to “Bayraktar”, the peacekeeping mission of NATO has reminded Kosovo that KFOR is the country's primary air space authority.

KFOR issued a statement about the use of drones, saying that Kosovo's top <x0space could only be used to fly over Kosovo from one country to another with commercial flights”, and that the KFOR commander's authorization is needed for the lower space.

Kosovo's “upper air space can only be used to fly over Kosovo from one country to another with commercial flights; lower air space can be used for specific needs, case by case and prior authorisation by KFOR commander. We expect institutions in Kosovo to ensure co-ordination and to respect existing procedures”, KFOR's statement said.

In this statement, KFOR said it continues to support the development of the Kosovo Security Forces under their initial mandate, including civil protection operations such as the extinction of fire, the annihilation of explosive devices, search and rescue, and response to the spilling of dangerous materials.

“KFOR remains fully focused on ensuring a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo, in accordance with the UN's mentioned mandate”, the KFOR statement said at the end.

Otherwise, Kosovo's interest in buying Turkey's famous drones had been revealed by Regional Development Minister Fikrim Damka, during an interview last December.

Damka had said Kosovo has it on the agenda and that it is working to buy Turkish production fears, Bayraktar. The exact price of these fears is unknown, but it is estimated that one costs about 5m euros.

Damka had said this is a long-term process, until she added that any weapons purchase “would be used only for the country's defence”.

President Osmani had paid visits to the company “Baykar”, during a visit that had taken place in Turkey in February 2022. In announcing this visit, he had mentioned the country's interest in having these types of fears of military arsenal.

Two months after Osman, the factory in question was also visited by Defence Minister Armend Mehay.

He had announced that he was recently notified by Baykar Company Executive Chief Haluk Bayraktar.

Otherwise, this type of drone has for the first time flown in 2014 and was developed in Turkey by Selcuk Bayrakar, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is likened to American Elon Mook, the unique military plane he has developed, and to a presence on social networks, where he is often cruel to his critics.

Bayraktar, who is chief of technology at the Baykar defence company, in 2016 married the daughter of Turkey's president, Recep Tayip Erdogan.

Bayraktar TB2 can stay in the sky for up to 27 hours, which is enabled by a simple propeller engine and can also fly up to 150 kilometers from its base. This butterfly can also be equipped with four anti-x0mic rockets of smart ammunition”, which are precise enough to destroy armoured vehicles from several miles away.

Such cables of the TB2 type are used by armies of some states and have also been sent to Ukraine to help Kiev forces fight against Russian occupation.

Despite the price of a TB 2 Bayraktari has not been made public, the collection of funds earlier this year was organised to buy such fears for Ukraine, and organisers of the collection of these funds had suggested that 5m euros are enough for a threat.