Turkey's pro-government newspaper Yeni Akit has gone after Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, calling his new military c...

Turkey's pro-government newspaper Yeni Akit has gone after Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, calling his new military cooperation deal with Israel a "scandalous move" that deserves widespread condemnation. The dispute centers on Albania's newly opened National Flight School, built in partnership with Israeli defense company Elbit Systems. At the opening ceremony, Rama announced that Albania's planned Special Forces School would also draw on Israeli expertise for training, certification, and accreditation programs. Rama was direct about his country's strategic direction. He said Albania is in active discussions to bring one of the world's top special forces training and certification centers from Israel, and that the Israeli defense forces and air force are, in his words, Albania's friends and allies and the greatest guarantee of success for this effort. The two schools are designed to serve more than just Albania. Rama said the goal is to turn both centers into regional hubs open to military personnel from Kosovo and other nearby NATO member states, effectively making Albania a training base for the broader Western Balkans alliance. Yeni Akit framed the announcement as a provocation requiring backlash, pointing to social media criticism directed at Rama over Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. The Turkish outlet cited negative reactions from users who objected to Israel's role in training Albanian special forces. The broader context is hard to miss. Albania is a NATO member, Elbit Systems is one of Israel's largest defense contractors, and the new schools are explicitly designed to meet NATO standards. Turkey, which has been increasingly vocal against Israel since 2023, appears particularly unsettled by a Muslim-majority NATO ally deepening military ties with Jerusalem. #Albania #Israel #NATO