Erdoğan and Berisha Pledge Balkan Stability at Ankara Lunch

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha visited Ankara in September 2006 as the personal guest of Türkiye's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who hosted him for lunch at his official residence.

Erdoğan emphasized that relations between the two countries are rooted in a shared history and culture, noting that the connection shows up in everyday language, food, literature, music, and historical monuments.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Balkans. Berisha expressed gratitude to Türkiye's government and people for backing Albania's democratic development.

Berisha highlighted Albania's ambition to join NATO and called Türkiye's support critical to that goal. He also said he expects bilateral trade to grow by two to three times its current level.

Touching on the historical ties between the nations, Berisha noted that both countries emerged from imperial traditions and now share the goal of European Union membership.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.