Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gül visited Tirana in February 2007, meeting his Albanian counterpart Besnik Mustafaj for a joint press conference. Gül described bilateral ties as excellent and pledged Türkiye's full support for Albania's accession to NATO and integration into transatlantic institutions.
Gül assured Albanian officials that Türkiye would represent Albanian interests in international forums where Tirana is not present. He also noted that peace and stability in the Balkans remain priorities for Türkiye, and said Ankara was awaiting the report of UN mediator Martti Ahtisaari on Kosovo's future status. He stressed that any Kosovo settlement must protect minority rights while reflecting the will of the majority.
Mustafaj welcomed the visit and called for continued cooperation through institutions such as NATO. He highlighted successful joint efforts between the two countries' interior ministries on counterterrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. On Kosovo, Mustafaj said independence is the only path that can genuinely serve the population living there.
Following the press conference, Gül attended a dinner hosted by Mustafaj. His schedule included a Türkiye-Albania Business Council meeting and separate meetings with Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Assembly President Jozefina Topalli, and President Alfred Moisiu before departing Tirana.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in February 2007, in its own words.