Turkey restores Kosovo’s Emin Pasha Mosque

BELGRADE – Anadolu Agency

AA photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the restored Emin Pasha Mosque in Kosovo’s city of Prizren via video link on March 16.The Turkish International Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) funded the restoration project.In his address, the Turkish president said Kosovo is a friendly country and, therefore, Turkey will continue to allocate it resources through various TİKA projects.“From the capital of Turkey, Ankara, we welcome eveyone, ministers in the Kosovo government, representatives of the Islamic community, students, teachers and our Kosovar brothers. Congratulations on the re-opening of this beautiful Emin Pasha mosque and we wish you good luck,” he said.TİKA’s Kosovo coordinator, Eyüp Umutlu, said the Turkish organization was preserving the country’s cultural and historical heritage.“The restoration of mosques like this one has a special meaning … [it] shows that Muslims here have existed for centuries,” Umutlu said.The Emin Pasha Mosque was built in 1832 and is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in Kosovo.Turkish Consul to Prizren Selen Evcit, Islamic Community of Kosovo President Naim Ternava, Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Ferid Agani, Turkish members of the Kosovo Assembly, as well as representatives of TİKA and the Yunus Emre Institute in Kosovo, attended the ceremony.