Kosovo Presidential Military Medal presented to Turkish defense chief

By Harun Kutbe

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was awarded the Presidential Military Medal of Kosovo on Wednesday by his Kosovar counterpart Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu.

The Defense Ministry said on Twitter that Osmani-Sadriu, who came to the Turkish capital, Ankara, on the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presented the medal to Akar.

The medal was presented for the Turkish Armed Forces' contribution to freedom and peace within NATO Forces during the 1999 Kosovo intervention, as well as the military and security support and cooperation it showed to Kosovo.

Kosovo is a former Serbian province populated by nearly 1.8 million. More than 90% are Kosovo Albanians.

Following the conflict that took erupted in 1998-99, opposing the Kosovo Liberation Army and Serbian forces, Kosovo ultimately broke away from Serbia with the help of NATO.
It declared independence Feb. 17, 2008, and is recognized by 117 countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany and Turkiye.