Balkan Affairs Analyst at Wilson Center, Ross Johnson, stressed that the Kosovo government did the right thing with the dismissal of the Interior Minister and the Head of the National Intelligence Agency for their role in the arrest and deportation of the Turkish citizens.
He told to Voice of America that the deportations were irregular and illegal. The Turkish president, says Mr. Johnson, "has gone too far" with his comments on the Kosovo Government.
"A weird development. Of course they were deported irregularly. Prime Minister and President could do nothing other than dismissing the Interior Minister and the head of the National Intelligence Agency.This was a very irregular and illegal deportation of foreign nationals, whether or not they were engaged in illegal activities against the Turkish state. This should not be done. Erdogan has gone too far criticizing the Kosovo government for this. However, this is his typical behavior. So I'm not surprised by that."
Mr. Johnson stressed that the incident will not cause problems with Kosovo in relation to the European Union.
"I do not think this incident will change things. If the interior minister and counterintelligence chief were to remain in office, this would cause problems in discussions with the European Union. Otherwise, I hope this will be a story," he said.
Six Turkish citizens, five of whom are employees of the Gülistan Educational Institution owned by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen whom Turkish President Recep Tayyip for a coup attempt in Turkey two years ago and a doctor were deported on Thursday in an unexplained operation carried out by the intelligence services of both countries.
On Friday, Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj dismissed Interior Minister Flamur Sefaj and the Chief of Intelligence Agency Driton Gashi. On Saturday he gathered the Security Council after which he said he requested investigation and reporting from security and justice institutions on this case, while reiterating that he was not at all aware of the actions of the institutions.
The entire operation left behind many ambiguities, while Kosovo's top leaders said they had commanded inclusive investigations in all institutions involved in the arrest and deportation operation of the Turkish citizens.