‘Deployment of Turkish troops in Kosovo crucial’

PRISTINA

The participation of Turkish soldiers in the Kosovo Force (KFOR) to support the NATO peacekeeping force amid heightened tensions in the region is crucial and a politically prudent decision, says Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia, commander of the NATO peacekeeping force stationed in Kosovo.

On May 29, KFOR separated protesting ethnic Serbs from ethnic Albanians inside Mitrovica town hall amid clashes following a Serb boycott of polls in the north that allowed ethnic Albanians to take control of local councils.

The Turkish commando battalion requested by NATO arrived in Kosovo to assist in quelling recent violent unrest in the Balkan country on June 5.

Speaking to daily Milliyet about the tension in Kosovo and the presence and activities of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in the region, Ristuccia pointed out that the presence of Turkish troops contributes significantly to the peacekeeping mission.

Describing the deployment of Turkish soldiers as “a decision made with political common sense,” Ristuccia also stressed that the Turkish Army enhances the military capabilities and mobility of KFOR in Kosovo.

“It [Turkish forces] has strengthened our military capabilities and capacities to better respond to the tension in the region. It is quite helpful during this challenging period. Currently, the situation is highly complicated, tense and volatile. In this context, Turkish troops are crucial for us as they provide us with greater operational flexibility,” Ristuccia said.

He reiterated his call for both sides to refrain from unnecessary statements and rhetoric that could further escalate the tension in Kosovo, urging them to return to the negotiation table.

In the meantime, NATO’s peacekeeping force in Kosovo said on June 21 its “intervention was crucial” to keep Serbs and ethnic Albanians apart during riots that injured 38 KFOR officers in the country’s flashpoint north.

“It was very violent, but I think that the intervention of KFOR was crucial because we avoided clashes and contact between the two parties,” said Captain Davide Inglese, a company commander who was present during the clashes.

“I was thinking only about my soldiers, I was thinking only about my task,” which was to “maintain security,” he said.

KFOR personnel in helicopters and armored road vehicles on June 21 conducted regular monitoring operations in Mitrovica, an ethnic Serb-majority city in the north, and the surrounding region.

The situation appeared calm - in contrast to the May clashes in which rioting ethnic Serbs hurled Molotov cocktails, rocks and bottles.