At the call of NATO, Türkiye decided to send special forces to Kosovo

NATO contingent in the region taken from Serbia is reinforced by hundreds of military

Turkey will send special forces to Kosovo in response to NATO’s call for “peacekeeping”. And the European Union called on the leaders of Pristina and Belgrade to immediately reduce tensions around the region torn away from Serbia and stop the “divisive rhetoric.”

Turkey announced it would send commandos to Kosovo on Sunday in response to NATO’s request to join the peacekeeping operation following unrest in the country’s north.

Turkey’s defense ministry called for “restraint and constructive dialogue” to resolve the crisis, which it said could harm regional security and stability, according to The Guardian, in a statement released on Saturday.

The moves came after the EU called on the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to “immediately and unconditionally” reduce tensions and end “divisive rhetoric.”

“Calm must be restored urgently,” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said on Saturday. “The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the acts of violence against civilians, members of the KFOR [Сил для Косово, KFOR], law enforcement and the media in northern Kosovo. Violence could have been avoided and should be avoided in the future.”

The political crisis that escalated into violence in northern Kosovo has intensified since ethnic Albanian mayors took power in the Serb-majority region, prompting even the US and its allies to chide Pristina. The majority of the Serbian population boycotted the April elections, allowing ethnic Albanians to be elected, recalls The Guardian.

On Thursday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron and his German counterpart Olaf Scholz called for new elections in northern Kosovo following impromptu talks with the presidents of Serbia and Kosovo at the end of a summit of 46 European leaders in Moldova.

On Saturday, the EU said it was ready to take “strong measures”, warning that “failure to reduce tensions will lead to negative consequences.”

The EU statement said that the Kosovo authorities were expected to “act without escalation” and immediately suspend police operations near municipal buildings in the north of the country and allow the mayors to “temporarily carry out their duties.”

The European Union also voiced concern over Serbia’s decision to put the army on the highest alert and called on both sides to “act responsibly and immediately engage in dialogue with the assistance of the EU.”

As a result of the violence on Monday, 30 peacekeepers and 52 Serbs protesting against the appointment of mayors were injured. This outbreak of violence has prompted NATO to announce that it will send more troops, in addition to the 700 already en route to the Balkan country, to reinforce its 4,000-strong so-called “peacekeeping” mission.