Turkiye’s international cooperation agency continues to strengthen historical ties with Albania

By Emre Karaca

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye’s international cooperation agency continues to strengthen historical ties between Albania and Turkey, the group said Friday.

Numerous projects have been carried out in different fields, including education, culture, economy, art and youth contribute to further improve bilateral relations, the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) said in a statement.

History and Turkish language classes are among projects organized by YTB in Albania.

In this context, 5,000 copies of the book, Ottoman History, by Turkish scholar Mehmet Maksudoglu, which was translated into the Albanian language, were distributed in 2013.

In addition, a symposium was organized on May 19 - 20, 2016, by Turkiye’s Trakya University and Albania’s Tiran University on historical, linguistic and literary studies.

And extra courses were organized for students at all levels, excluding higher education, in the northern province of Shkodra. Also, 150 Turkish language learning kits were supplied to Turkish-learning students in northeastern Kukes and southern Konispol provinces.

Particularly, in the higher education sector in Albania, 30 students were given training in culture and history and 43 students learning Turkish were invited on a cultural trip program in August 2018.

YTB sponsored the translation and distribution of major scholarly works on the Turkish-Albanian common history.

It also sponsors students from other Balkan countries to study at New York Tiran University, owned by Turkiye’s Maarif Foundation and promotes Turkish universities and scholarship opportunities to Albanian students.

As such, 1,100 Albanian students, including 69 in 2021, were given scholarships since 1994.

Presently, 230 Albanian students attend various educational institutions in Turkey.

*Written by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara