TIRANA (Reuters) – Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan will give a “considerable” number of kamikaze drones of an unspecified type to Albania, the country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Thursday.
“It is a present that comes as a strong message from the Republic of Turkey that Albania is unhittable,” Rama told a joint news conference during on one-day visit by Erdogan.
The so-called kamikaze drone is a loitering munition that cruises towards its target before plummeting at velocity and detonating on impact.
A spokesperson for the government contacted by Reuters was unable to provide any further details on the number or type of drones.
Rama also said that the acquisition of an unspecified number of Turkish kamikaze drones does not mean “Albania will attack anyone.”
Most countries in the Western Balkans, including Albania, have started to upgrade their aging militaries after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Albania and Turkey are both members of NATO. The government in Tirana has already acquired a fleet of Turkish-made Bayraktar reconnaissance and attack drones.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
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