Kosovo Says It’s Safer After Receiving Turkish Drones

‘Kosovo is now even safer’ – that’s what Prime Minister Albin Kurti said after Turkish Bayraktar drones arrived in the country. Kosovo has purchased the unmanned aerial vehicles amid ongoing tensions in the country’s north. The latest unrest in northern Kosovo erupted in May after Albanian mayors took office following a local election boycotted by ethnic Serbs. After violent clashes, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic placed his army on combat alert and moved troops closer to the border with Kosovo. In response to Kosovo’s Bayraktar drone purchase, Serbia’s defence minister called Turkiye a major power with significant influence in the Western Balkans, and said any conflict with Ankara wouldn’t be in their national interests. Plus, the United States has sanctioned the head of Serbia’s intelligence agency for what it calls – corrupt acts that facilitate Russia’s malign activities in Serbia and the Balkans. The US Treasury Department says Aleksandar Vulin has been implicated in transnational organised crime, illegal narcotics operations, and misuse of public office. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has responded to the sanctions, saying it all has to do with Vulin’s relations with the Russian Federation, and not because he is a criminal. Across The Balkans, hosted by Nafisa Latic, is TRT World’s programme that focuses specifically on the issues and fault lines shaping Southeast Europe today.