President Gül lays foundation of Turkish university in Albania

President Abdullah Gül participated in a ceremony to mark the laying of the foundations of Apoke University in the capital, Tirana, during his official trip to Albania on Saturday.

State ministers Zafer Çağlayan and Selma Aliye Kavaf and Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün also attended the foundation-laying ceremony with President Gül and visited the Turgut Özal Educational Facility founded in 1993, also located in the capital. Addressing students and teachers at the Turkish high school, President Gül thanked them for their warmth and hospitality. Gül said that friendship stemmed from history between the two nations and gave Turkish schools as an example of that friendship. “These schools are the best gifts from Turkish businessmen to Albania,” Gül said.

The construction of Apoke University, which will have the capacity for 4,000 students, is expected to be completed in stages over five years. The university will occupy a plot of 60 acres.

President Gül has official meetings

During Gül’s meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, the development of relations, particularly with a focus on trade and economic relations and increasing Turkish investments in Albania were discussed, the Albanian Prime Ministry Press Center reported on Friday.

The statement stressed the importance of Gül’s visit and said it had made a significant contribution to the advancement of bilateral relations. “We are resolute about developing relations between the two countries, two governments and two nations,” Gül was quoted as saying during his meeting with the Albanian prime minister.

President Gül said it was pleasing to see the extraordinary developments in Albania and the reforms the Albanian government was making. He said Albania’s NATO membership bid was extremely important and that Turkey will continue its support for Albania’s integration in the EU. Turkish investments in Albania have currently reached $860 million compared with $150 million in 2005.

During his visit, President Gül also participated in the inaugural ceremony of the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Tirana. The center was built as part of a program to promote Turkey, Turkish culture and language abroad under the aegis of the Yunus Emre Foundation. The first center of its kind was opened in Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina in October. Turkey plans to open Yunus Emre Cultural Centers in Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Spain, Germany, France and Egypt in the near future.

Following Gül’s meeting with Parliament Speaker Yozefina Topalli, the Albanian People’s Assembly Press Center also released a statement noting that the importance of bilateral relations with Turkey is “beyond the strategic partnership.”

“Albania has a political desire to develop cooperation with its traditional ally Turkey,” Topalli said, according to the statement. Topalli also reportedly said Albania has always seen the Turkish nation and the Turkish government as supporting Albania.