Kosovo and Turkey Independence, Cultural Heritage and Future Perspectives panel organized

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Kosovo Ministry of Regional Development organized a panel on "Kosovo and Turkey Independence, Cultural Heritage and Future Perspectives".

The opening speeches of the panel organized at Gazi University were made by Gazi University Rector Prof. Dr. Uğur Ünal and Kosovo Ambassador to Ankara Agon Vrenezi.

Fatmir Sejdiu, the first President of Kosovo, Dr. Besim Kamberaj, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Regional Development of Kosovo, Dr. Refike Sulcevski, Director of European Integration and Policy Coordination at the Ministry of Regional Development of Kosovo, Prof. Dr. Jusuf Osmani, Former Head of the State Agency for Kosovo Archives and Lecturer at the University of Prishtina, and Prof. Dr. İbrahim Bersisha, another Lecturer at the University of Prishtina, participated in the panel as speakers.

Unal, Rector of Gazi University, stated that the historical roots of the Balkans are very old and that Turks have been present here for many years and their traces have been found.

Emphasizing that Turks who visit Kosovo's cities will not feel like foreigners, Ünal said that visitors can feel like they are in a town in Anatolia.

"This geography is a geography where our traces live deeply," Ünal said, adding that this is extremely important and that both countries are doing their best to keep these traces alive.

"Turkey played a key role in Kosovo's statehood"

Mr. Vrenezi, Ambassador of Kosovo to Ankara, said that he was pleased to be here and that this panel was very meaningful for him.

Vrenezi said that it was a privilege to have Sejdiu, the first President of Kosovo, as a speaker at the panel and that the friendly relations between the two countries would be discussed at the panel.

Vrenezi reminded that Kosovo became a free independent sovereign state 17 years ago and noted that academics and students also contributed to this success.

Stating that international allies also took part in the statehood process of his country, Vrenezi said that Turkey played a key role in Kosovo's statehood process.

The Ambassador noted that Kosovo-Turkey cooperation is in the fields of politics, economy, education and culture.

Kosovo's independence, challenges and prospects

In his speech, Kosovo's first President Sejdiu referred to the suffering and wars that Kosovo went through on the road to independence and said that the people of Kosovo strive to live free.

Sejdiu said that the people living in Kosovo would understand the sufferings experienced there, and pointed out that Bosnia and Herzegovina also experienced great suffering in addition to Kosovo.

Regarding Turkey's support to his country in this process, Sejdiu pointed out that Turkey is the voice of Kosovo in the international arena.

"Turkey played an important role in Kosovo's independence." Sejdiu said that his country Kosovo did not gain its sovereignty in an easy way and explained the difficulties his country faced throughout its history.

Academic cooperation between the two countries was emphasized

Mr. Kamberaj, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Regional Development of Kosovo, pointed out that academic studies are very important for the development of a society.

Referring to the academic activities between Turkey and Kosovo, Kamberaj said that there is a strong cooperation between the two countries.

Kamberaj said that cooperation between educational institutions, including Gazi University, should be further developed and that a conference on Turkey-Kosovo cooperation will be organized in his country in the near future.

Kamberaj said he hoped that cooperation between the two countries would continue in this field.

Cooperation between Kosovo-Turkey state archives

Mr. Sulcevski, Director of European Integration and Policy Coordination at the Ministry of Regional Development of Kosovo, expressed his pleasure to be here on the occasion of the panel and reminded that there has been cooperation between Kosovo and Turkey in many fields in the period after 1999.

Sulcevski said that this cooperation was already in place before 1999, noting that a major student project was prepared in 1992.

Sulcevski reminded that hundreds of students coming from Kosovo to Turkey received education and said that he was at Gazi University for the second time.

Sulcevski said that he has been working in the State Archives of Kosovo since 2004 and explained the work done for the reconstruction of his country.

"The ties between the two countries are becoming more and more interconnected. If Turkey is important for Kosovo, we hope Kosovo is important for Turkey."

Osmani, a lecturer at the University of Pristina, made a presentation titled "The occupation of the Sanjak of Niš and the deportation of the local population", while Bersisha explained the social and historical context of the press in Kosovo.