Erdoğan visits Albania for talks with leaders

TIRANA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Tirana on Oct. 10 for talks with Albanian leaders to strengthen bilateral relations before traveling to Serbia for further discussions.

Accompanying him were Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

Erdoğan’s delegation also included National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın and foreign policy advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç.

During his visit, Erdoğan held both one-on-one and inter-delegation meetings with Albanian President Bayram Begay, attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan.

The discussions focused on the status of Turkish-Albanian relations and developments in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Erdoğan also met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, where the leaders participated in the inauguration of a mosque in Tirana financed by Türkiye.

Following his time in Albania, Erdoğan was set to travel to Belgrade to participate in a business forum alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The discussions in Serbia were to cover various agreements aimed at enhancing the contractual basis of bilateral relations, as well as addressing current issues in the Balkans, the occupied Palestinian territories and Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz will represent Erdoğan during these engagements.