By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) — Tensions have long prevailed between Kosovo and Serbia, despite efforts for normalization by actors in their wider region to turn down the heat.
The two Western Balkan countries have always been at odds as Belgrade has refused to recognize Pristina’s independence from it in 2008 and continues to claim it as its own territory. But more recently, a series of actions by the Kosovo government, such as making the euro the sole legal currency and outlawing the Serbian dinar in predominantly Serb-populated areas, have sparked unrest. Additionally, a police operation on Aug. 5 led to the closure of nine branches of Serbia's national postal service, Posta Srbije, in northern Kosovo.
As a country that enjoys good relations with both sides, Türkiye has played an important role trying to ease tensions between them. The country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to embark on a mini-tour of the region on Thursday, when he will arrive in the Albanian capital Tirana, followed by Belgrade a day later.
Bilateral ties between Türkiye and Serbia have been progressing steadily in other areas as well, with strong momentum in commercial and economic relations. Türkiye sees Serbia as essential to regional stability and supports its integration with the European Union.
Kosovo, a country largely made up of ethnic Albanians, has an ethnic Serbian minority, especially in the country’s north, near the border with Serbia.
Speaking to Anadolu, Perko Matovic, director of the Center for National Policy in Serbia, said that while Belgrade and Ankara disagree on the matter of Kosovo’s independence, they remain focused on preserving peace and stability through dialogue, a matter he said Erdogan is likely to address during his fourth visit to Serbia.
- Turkish diplomacy: An objective force
"Because of the complex situations in Kosovo and Metohija, (Serbian) President (Aleksandar) Vucic and President Erdogan will talk about that. I would not be surprised if some kind of military cooperation is discussed, and even concluded, this time,” said Matovic.
Besides advancing defense and military relations with Serbia, Türkiye is also involved in Kosovo’s security. On Oct. 10 last year, Ankara assumed command of the NATO-led peacekeeping Kosovo Force (KFOR), based in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital. It was also among the first countries to formally recognize Kosovo.
While acknowledging the significance of Türkiye’s role in KFOR, Matovic said a political and diplomatic background “is what we need the most in order to broker objective and reliable agreements with which we can go to the future.”
“Turkish diplomacy has a big role in that because it can be objective and it can get what both sides agree on.”
"Serbia has had very good relations with KFOR Commander Maj. Gen. Ozkan Ulutas during his term," said Matovic. Among the NATO member countries and partners, Türkiye has the second-largest contingent in KFOR, contributing 780 of its approximately 4,500 soldiers.
“Türkiye plays a crucial role in the establishment of security and political relations in the Balkans. Even though Türkiye has its own interests and stances on all the issues — for example Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and everywhere else — still, Türkiye is one of the most objective partners we have cooperation with,” said Matovic.
- Highly anticipated visit
According to Matovic, Ankara has consistently been a reliable partner to countries in the region to “resolve conflicts in a way that everyone would be satisfied.” He added that good economic and political relations ensure security and political stability for both Serbia and Türkiye.
Erdogan's upcoming visit is highly anticipated, especially his scheduled address to Serbian and Turkish business leaders at a forum in Belgrade. The joint trade volume between Türkiye and Serbia stands at about $3 billion, with the goal of increasing it to $5 billion.
"In President Erdogan, we see someone who has transformed our relationship. We consider him a great friend and are always pleased when he visits," Matovic said, noting that his visits are unlike those of other European leaders.
"I would not put it in the context of other visits. Because I do not want to cheapen our relations. This is not the first time President Erdogan is visiting Belgrade. He was here many other times. Every time, we did something big and made a big step in our relations."