Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been an idol and role model for Albanian Premier Edi Rama long before he started to lead Turkey with an iron hand. The Albanian Prime Minister confessed his admiration for Turkey’s strong man in a long interview with Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency.

“My relationship with President Erdogan has started before getting acquainted with him, because I have admired from afar his extraordinary job as Istanbul’s Mayor and his transforming role he has played and plays; he has been one of my inspiring models for what I have done for Tirana”, Rama said.

“Later I had the chance to know and appreciate him closely; it is a relationship based upon mutual respect. Above all, it’s a special relationship based on a principle you do not find very often in the diplomatic and political relations, which is yes means yes and no means no”, Rama commented his ‘love affair’ with the Turkish President.