Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş, hosted the delegation under direction of Republic of Kosovo Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Rexhep Hoti, and warned the delegation against FETÖ trap.

Republic of Kosovo Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Rexhep Hoti, Ministry Secretary General Veton Firzi and Kosovo Ambassador to Ankara Avni Spahiu visited Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş in Ankara they conducted for study visits.

Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş hosted the delegation in Enstitü's head office in Ulus, and reminded that Kosovo was one of the first countries where Yunus Emre Enstitüsü opened a centre due to historical and cultural relations between the two countries. Prof. Dr. Ateş stating that they attach great importance to Kosovo, continued as follows: "We have centres in Prizren, Pristina and Pec. There is intense interest towards both culture and arts events we organize and handicrafts programs in Kosovo. We would like to further our cooperation with your ministry in related subjects."

"GPDNet" invitation to Kosovo from Yunus Emre Enstitüsü

President Şeref Ateş gave information on the Global Public Diplomacy Network (GPDNet) with 10 member states Yunus Emre Enstitüsü is the term president of, and made the following offer: " Becoming a GPDNet member enable friendly and sister countries to become active in the field of cultural diplomacy in the world. We would like Kosovo to be included in this network as term president.".

Republic of Kosovo Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Rexhep Hoti expressed his gladness in being in Turkey, and emphasizing that Yunus Emre Enstitüsü is active in many world countries, he stated the following: “We wish the collaboration between our country and Yunus Emre Enstitüsü that is active in many countries on most continents will develop. The investments we have made in many areas as culture and education, require a lot of spending and effort. We follow with appreciation the investments Turkey makes in Kosovo as a country that grows stronger each day. Kosovo is like the heart of Europe. It is a small country but it is an important country in the Balkans. YEE making investments in more fields in Kosovo and increasing its activities in Kosovo, and providing support to projects in Kosovo, will be of great importance for preservation, remembering and survival of the common values of peoples in the two countries and traditions coming from the Ottoman Empire.”

In response to Enstitü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş's invitation to join GPDNet, Rexhep Hoti spoke as follows:

"We also have a department for cultural diplomacy in our ministry. We have entered talks with Albanians regarding their operations. We also met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We recently got together with the academy in Albania that carries out cultural diplomacy. I visited Minister of Foreign Affairs in Kosovo. I advised Minister of Foreign Affairs to cooperate more with you in the field of cultural diplomacy. One of the primary aspects of cultural diplomacy is people come and go more often. Meeting with airlines can be held to facilitate that.”

"Turkish artists are welcome in Kosovo"

Secretary General of Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Republic of Kosovo Veton Firzi, expressed his appreciation for the cooperation between YEE in Pristina and Prizren and Kosovo, and spoke as follows: "Our Ministry is in need of different institutions in the field of culture. I have personally taken interest in Turkish artists visiting Kosovo and Kosovan artists visiting Turkey and promoting Kosovan culture and art. Turkish artists are welcome in Kosovo. This will take the relations between the two countries a step further. YEE organized events about Kosovo both in Turkey and Kosovo. This is also cultural diplomacy, and we are very grateful for that."

Kosovo Ambassador to Ankara Avni Spahiu, said that Yunus Emre Enstitüsü has invariably supported Kosovo, and as Embassy they have received much support from the Enstitü, and requested from Şeref Ateş to organize a very large event in Kosovo.

"Be heedful of the activities of FETÖ"

Listening to suggestions and requests from Kosovan delegation, President Ateş reminded that Yunus Emre Enstitüsü is a public foundation established by Turkish Republic and continued as follows: "We want all peoples in the Balkans to live in peace, and to speak their own languages, practice their own  cultures and religions. Turkish people naturally have sympathy for Kosovo and people of Kosovo. We will gladly support and co-organize any activity on the Kosovan culture the Ambassador wishes to organize in Turkey. As economic power of Turkish Republic rises, budget allocated for culture and education also increase. I would like to stress something. There was a coup attempt in Turkey on July 15^th. And those who staged this coup attempt, introduce themselves as institutions operating in the fields of education and culture especially in the Balkans. For many years, we could not realize that this organisation had such an agenda. But their true intentions became apparent in the eyes of the world when they used heavy weapons against Turkish people, drove tanks on people, and bombed the Parliament Building. You should also be careful about the activities this organization carries out in Kosovo. We especially wish for friendly countries to cast away this terrorist organization that specifically targeted the existence of Republic of Turkey. Turkish Republic is strong. It can also organize different activities in Kosovo through different institutions. No activity that will harm the friendship between peoples of Turkey and Kosovo, should be allowed.”

Ateş relaying that he visited Sarajevo a few days ago, suggested implementing My Preference Turkish project launched by Enstitü in Kosovo. Ateş continued as follows: “We provided schools which offer Turkish as an elective course with electronic devices and various education material filling 3 trucks and with a worth 1 million dollars, in collaboration with Istanbul Provincial Directorate for National Education. As Turkish State and people financially prosper, they share the wealth with brothers and sisters. Such projects can be carried out in Kosovo. This way these hatemongers who aim to hurt the friendship between the two countries will leave Kosovo.”

“We have ministers who like Erdoğan as their own President"

Republic of Kosovo Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Hoti who listened to YEE President Ateş's friendly warning about July 15^th and Fetullah Terrorist Organization, explained what they did as a country on July 15^th and its aftermath:

"In this process (July 15^th ) the Kosovan government and the people of Kosovo have sided with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the elected president of Turkish Republic. We will continue to support President Erdoğan and maintain the friendship between the two countries. A Turkish individual in Kosovo feels the way he feels in Istanbul. They are our constituent elements. I can comfortably say that the Turks in Kosovo feel more Turkish than the Turks in Turkey. Next to the common history, culture and art, the Turkish community in Kosovo is important. The majority of our ministers like the Turkish President as much as our own president. Everyone knows how much you helped Kosovo during the war. Our synergy with Turks has a long history.”