Bayraktar crisis in Kosovo… NATO warning
There was a NATO reaction to the purchase of Bayraktar drones from Turkey by Kosovo, which has been experiencing high tensions with Serbia in recent times and which some show as the direction of the new war in Europe after Ukraine.
Kosovo announced over the weekend that it had bought Turkish-made Bayraktar drones. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who shared the photo he took in front of the drone with the Defense Minister on his Facebook account, said it made the country safer.
Kosovo officials noted that the Bayraktar UAVs were very effective in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, especially in the early days of the war. On the other hand, this step came at a time when tensions between Kosovo and Serbia were rising.
Scores of people, including NATO soldiers, were injured in clashes in late May between Kosovo Serbs and security forces, who oppose the appointment of Albanian officials in townships in northern Kosovo.
Türkiye SENT SOLDIERS TO THE REGION
Kosovo was the scene of violence in the north of the country, where Serbs live, in May, and NATO soldiers were injured in the clashes. As tensions rose, Serbian President Vucic ordered the army to “get ready” and deployed soldiers to the Kosovo border.
Türkiye also sent troops to Kosovo at the request of NATO’s Joint Forces Command. NATO has 4,500 peacekeepers in the country.
As the tension continued, Kosovo’s acquisition of Bayraktar created controversy. In a statement made yesterday by NATO, it was emphasized that KFOR is responsible for Kosovo’s airspace. The statement read: “Kosovo Peace Force Command has primary responsibility for all types of UAVs, including the Bayraktar TB2, and arrangements for them.”
Serbia does not recognize the unilateral independence declared by Kosovo in 2008.