Monday musings in Prishtina
I'm starting a new series of writings on Mondays, trying to cover the events of the previous week, starting this very Monday with few thoughts on Turkey in Kosovo.
It’s not really all that difficult to start a week with some thoughts over the events that unfolded the previous week. Some people call it “Monday morning quarterbacking”, on account of people usually being great sports analysts on Mondays — after the games happen — ready to criticize coaches or the players for goals missed and passes fumbled.
I'm calling these short texts as Monday musings. Not the most original title (I accept proposals!), but I’m trying this new format to pick a subject that was highlighted the previous week and try to give it some context.
The focus will be on our challenges in the energy, economy, foreign affairs and dialogue with Serbia in non-partisan fashion. I will also try to highlight features (or is it facets?) of these issues which are either overlooked or misunderstood.
You may not agree with all of my “musings” or interpretations of weekly events but I will try to use data and facts when discussing the issues at stake — and I will always be available for a constructive dialogue. At one point, I will also try to turn these into a podcast of sorts. As I said, I will try to keep them short!
A visit from Turkey
Turkish Minister of foreign affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was in Kosovo this weekend. It was an interesting visit that brought a lot of headlines. Turkey has been a staunch supporter of Kosovo for decades. In foreign policy, it was a fundamental contributor to Kosovo’s international recognition and inclusion. While I served as Kosovo’s deputy foreign minister, I will readily confirm that several highly important bilateral recognitions came with the direct involvement of Turkish President Erdogan and Turkish diplomats around the world.
Turkish businesses are important investors in Kosovo’s economic landscape, with big footprint in airport industry, banking system, energy, etc. After our own diaspora, Turkey is one of the biggest providers of FDI in Kosovo.
Yet, every now and then, we keep reading and hearing skeptical voices of “what did Turkey ever do for us?”. Some of these writings are drenched in the old historic debates of Albanians “suffering under Ottomans”. More contemporary critical voices are worried about the growing bilateral ties between Ankara and Belgrade as well as the internal political situation in Turkey. Internationally, some analysts get carried away at times, projecting Turkey as Russia’s alter ego in the Balkans.
Many poles, but not so many friendly ones
Some of these considerations are somewhat difficult to accept. Time of multipolarity has indeed dawned in Balkans, but not all poles are equal. US and EU have been unified in promoting democracy and Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as Kosovo’s security. Turkey is a NATO member, and especially in the case of Kosovo, it has played an important role in economic and diplomatic support. China and especially Russia on the other hand, have engaged in far more predatory practices and an agenda that increases the distance between Brussels and Balkans.
It’s also difficult to accept that our republic’s needs and interests today are to be shaped by the interpretation of events of 600 (or 200) years ago. Our historiography is not free of sins and stupidity. Let the historians define the period.
Internal politics in Turkey is also a consideration for Turks themselves or countries far bigger than us, but I do think Kosovo decision-makers can’t afford to become moralistic or pedantic when it comes to any of our allies.
Kosovo’s national interest cannot possibly be defined by what happens inside the partner countries, especially those that have aided, supported and fought for Kosovo.
Recent (and suspiciously sudden) public showings of support in Prishtina for Fethullah Gülen are very odd. This clergy man has blatantly never been a friend of democracy and is probably responsible for lot of mayhem that unfolded in his own native country and beyond. We don’t need to import antagonisms of other countries into our own. I think we are doing just fine with our own disagreements.
Human rights organizations or specialised agencies may cover media freedoms in Turkey (or Serbia), women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, labor situation in Qatar — or racism in USA. I dare say we should look first and foremost at our own backyard, our own treatment of Roma and other minorities, our own respect of language rights, our own situation in rule of law — and our own progress in fulfilling EU norms expected of a future enlargement candidate.
Welcoming (and appreciating) the investments
What should be a priority now however is getting more investments from Turkey. Setting up the record straight about the past investments is important.
We still read occasional comments in online and social media how “Turkish company stole KEDS” (power distributing company). There was even whispers of considerations for Kosovo to forcefully nationalize KEDS. But data from the annual reports of KEDS show a different story.
Up until 2013, KEDS (KEK Distribution then) was a loss-making public utility costing Kosovo tax-payers 50 million Euro every year and was generating enormous technical and commercial losses for all taxpayers. Within the last 8 years since privatization — which was facilitated and strongly endorsed by successive US governments too — 170 million Euro were invested in better electricity network, reducing dramatically losses and ensuring a stable supply of electricity for vast majority of Kosovans.
In the same period of time KEDS and KESCO have paid over 1.5 billion euro to KEK for the electricity produced by our own power generation company. In 2013 the losses ratio was around 33% of all households but by 2020, this has dropped to 19% — with many losses being incurred in the north of Kosovo due to more political reasons. The average salary in KEDS has also increased to almost 850 Euro, which helped the entire energy sector become attractive for qualified workers.
It’s a similar story with Prishtina Airport: it’s a far more profitable company now, under the concession of Turkish-French consortium; better managed and bringing more income to the central budget — then while it was managed by the Kosovan government. Banking system also benefited from coming of Turkish banks. While we had a duopoly of German and Austrian banks in the post-war Kosovo, interest rates were close to loan-shark practices at around 12% — but as more competition arrived, primarily from more risk-tolerant Turkish banks, the credit rates dropped dramatically and are now around 6%. USAID-initiated bailiff reforms also helped of course.
A new wave of investments is possible from Turkey’s big players. The first big wind farm in Kosovo is also owned by a Turkish company. Solar energy projects, expansion (and addition) of new airports, winter tourism, are all green fields where there’s interest from Turkish companies.
— -
In one of the old jokes of famous Turkish (Ottoman?) character Nassredin Hoxha — also popular with our grandparents — Mulla tells Nassredin: “I can see in the dark!”
Nassredin is suspicious and asks Mulla: “That may be so, Mulla. But if it is true, why do you sometimes carry a candle at night?”. Mulla responds: “To prevent other people from bumping into me.”
In these dark and uncertain times of the new war in European continent, we can pretend to see in the dark but we really need the light of allies and friends to ensure the things lurking in the darkness “don’t bump” into us.
