Turkish president, Kosovar premier discuss bilateral ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has discussed bilateral ties and other matters with Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the presidential complex in Ankara, according to Türkiye's Directorate of Communications.

Bilateral relations, Israel's attacks on Palestinian territories, and regional and global issues were discussed during the meeting, the communications office said in a statement on Friday.

Erdogan said their focus is on increasing their nearly $750 million bilateral trade volume to over $1 billion, and underlined the potential to develop relations in different fields, notably the defence industry.

Stressing that Türkiye will continue to support Kosovo in every field, Erdogan said Ankara expects Pristina to take steps in the fight against terrorism. Welcoming the ease of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, he highlighted the importance of making tangible progress on the issue.

Kosovo was a part of Serbia before it declared independence in 2008. Still, Belgrade continues to claim sovereignty over the nation, now recognized by some 100 countries including the US and Türkiye.

The Turkish leader said international pressure on Israel should be increased such that it ends its military actions in Palestine's Gaza, and a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict should be supported.