Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha sent a clear message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, criticizing his meddling in Albania’s internal affairs by supporting Premier Edi Rama in opposition to the Albanian people’s interest.

“I’d like to tell openly to the President of Turkey that the work he’s doing for Edi Rama’s power is in blatant opposition to the Albanians’ interests. Also, Edi Rama’s vassal-like acts do not serve to a long term cooperation between the two countries”, Berisha said in his weekly press conference commenting the shutdown of Turkish education institutions in Tirana at Erdoğan’s request.

“The President of Turkey cannot dictate which school should work and which shouldn’t or who the Foreign Minister must be. I have no sympathy for (former Foreign Minister) Ditmir Bushati, but he (Erdoğan) cannot interfere for firing him”.

“The President of Turkey cannot interfere to decide who the Head Mufti must be, because the Albanian President and Prime Minister cannot do that either; and this is unacceptable”.

“The Albanian Islam is Western Islam. It has a glorious history, from the stance for the alphabet and the decision for the translation of Quran, decisions that gave it the physiognomy of the European Islam. We must be clear, we have our own specifics. We are a multi-religious nation. We are brothers only to each-other. Brotherhood exists only inside a nation, not outside it”, said Berisha.