ALBANIA

The relations between Türkiye and Albania continue with a common history, similar life and kinship ties. This stable country of the Balkans is waiting for Turkish entrepreneurs to do business in common business areas. The Turkish and Albanian nations have an honorable past and a rich experience dating back to the depths of history.

We believe that the whole Balkans will have similarly exemplary relations like those between Türkiye and Albania. As the Marmara Group Foundation, we have been trying to carry the relations between Türkiye and Albania further in every field with care and attention for years with our civil society identity.

Great Atatürk, while sending the first Turkish Ambassador to Albania, gave the following advice: ‘We love the Albanian people. We regard it as a brother. We seriously and firmly desire its strengthening and progress as a state and nation. We wish it to gain the position it deserves in the Balkans independently and firmly. This is the basis of the political relations between Türkiye and Albania.’

These words are a living testament for the Turkish State and the Turkish nation.

It should never be too much to repeat that the roots of our ties lie deep in history and, above all, they are fueled by the will of the two peoples to develop their common values.

Our countries have been open places for our peoples to help each other, to defend each other and to share each other's troubles, as true friends do.

Among the centuries, the great poet Mehmet Akif, who wrote our National Anthem, is an intellectual of Albanian origin in my country. Şemsettin Sami Frasheri, who wrote the first great dictionary of my country, is also a thinker of Albanian origin. Ali Sami Yen, who founded Galatasaray, one of the most important sports clubs of my country, is also a sportsman of Albanian origin.

No one can know and estimate the number of Albanian citizens in the state, politics, bureaucracy, academic and working life because they are the essential elements of the Turkish nation.In short, Turkey and Albania have been the expression of a lasting and very beneficial friendship.

As the Marmara Group Foundation, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the Albanian nation. The late former President Bujar Nishani honored Dr. Akkan Suver with the Special Medal of Merit on June 9, 2017. As Marmara Group Foundation, we consider this honor as a value given to the great Turkish Nation in front of Dr Akkan Suver. The State of Albania has always been represented at a high level in the Eurasian Economic Summits we organize every year. At the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit, the late President Bujar Nishani was honored. Lindita Nikolla, Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, presented the Medal of Honor in 2024 to Dr. Akkan Suver on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation which she was also the speaker of.

Marmara Group Foundation owes a debt of gratitude to the Albanian State.

We lost Bujar Nishani We lost Bujar Nishani (2012-2017), one of the Presidents of the Albanian State. During his Presidency, Bujar Nishani was a high figure who carried out exceptional work in the relations between Turkey and Albania. Bujar Nishani, who gained fame in his time with his great respect for democracy and human rights; He took part in the works of the Marmara Group Foundation and the Eurasian Economic Summit. Bujar Nishani, who wrote a letter to Dr. Akkan Suver before his death and explained his thoughts on the subjects of the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit, presented Dr. Akkan Suver with the High Merit Medal of the Albanian State in 2017. Marmara Group Foundation will never forget Bujar Nishani. We bow respectfully before his Great Memory.