 |
| Erdogan when in an official visit to Tirana on January 17, the same date as the death of Gjergj Kastriot Skenderbeu |
Albania has refused to comply with the request made by Turkish President Erdogan during his visit to Tirana, where he called for measures against the Gulenists.
The Prime Minister, Edi Rama during a statement to the media from the headquarters of the Socialist Party said that "we have no debt" to Erdogan and Turkey itself.
"We have no debt to the president of Turkey and Turkey, just as the president of Turkey and the Republic of Turkey owe us nothing because there is no debt between friends and a brotherly friendship," Rama said.
During a visit to Tirana on January 17, Erdogan urged the Albanian state to take concrete steps to fight the Gulenists.
According to him, this was a "precondition" for friendship and partnership between the two countries. He also described FETO as a "threat to Albania's national security."
This is not the first time Erdogan has made this request. In January last year, when he received Rama and the Albanian cabinet in Ankara, he did the same.
In May 2016, Turkey officially recognized the movement of Gülen as a terrorist group.
Erdogan says Gülen is behind the failed July 15, 2016 coup in Turkey.
Albania has officially refused to hand over members of the Gülen movement to Turkish authorities.