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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said his country is "too small to threaten Türkiye" following his remarks on Türkiye’s drone shipment to Kosovo, describing it as NATO’s second-largest military power.
Speaking at an emergency press conference, Vucic addressed Türkiye’s recent delivery of locally produced Skydagger kamikaze drones to Kosovo and commented on the state of bilateral relations between Belgrade and Ankara.
Responding to accusations from Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani that he had threatened Türkiye, Vucic reiterated that Serbia is "too small to threaten" a nation he described as "a great power," emphasizing that his comments had been misunderstood. He added that Serbia would continue to defend the freedom and survival of its people while maintaining what he called the "golden age" of relations between Türkiye and Serbia.
Responding to criticism in the Serbian media regarding his personal friendship with Erdogan following Türkiye’s arms transfer to Kosovo, Vucic defended his relationship with the Turkish leader.
"When it comes to President Erdogan, I will always be a good host," he said. "We are talking about a great leader and a great, successful country — about the man who rebuilt Ankara from its ashes, transformed Istanbul, and who, without a doubt, is the greatest Turkish leader since Mustafa Kemal Pasha," Vucic added.
He emphasized that maintaining good relations with Türkiye and defending Serbia’s national interests were not mutually exclusive goals.
Vucic said he previously discussed Türkiye’s military cooperation with Kosovo directly with Erdogan at the Turkish House in New York in September 2024, which he described as "one of President Erdogan’s other achievements."
He recalled that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also attended the meeting. "About a year ago, I asked President Erdogan to halt the supply of weapons to Pristina," he said.
According to Vucic, Kosovo authorities are working on a ten-year plan to turn the Kosovo Security Force into a full-fledged army, with Türkiye playing a leading role in the process. He listed several Turkish-made systems supplied to Kosovo, including Skydagger drones, OMTAS anti-tank missiles, Bayraktar UAVs, Otokar Land Rovers, BMC Vuran and Otokar Cobra armored vehicles, and various assault and sniper rifles.
"The most notable of these modern combat systems are the Skydagger kamikaze drones," he said, explaining that the delivery contract was signed on December 24 and completed ahead of schedule.
The Serbian president underlined the importance of Türkiye’s position for regional stability. "We do not need escalating tensions," he said. "We will preserve peace and stability and ask our Turkish partners to communicate with us and take our interests into account."
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