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Türkiye assumed command of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) from Italy, marking the second time Ankara has led the peacekeeping mission since it was established in 1999.
At a ceremony at KFOR headquarters in Pristina, Turkish Maj. Gen. Ozkan Ulutas took over command from Italian Maj. Gen. Enrico Barduani. The event was attended by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples Commander Adm. Stuart Benjamin Munsch, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Pristina Sabri Tunc Angili, and other officials.
The ceremony began with the national anthems of Türkiye and Italy.
In her remarks, President Osmani said KFOR had been a cornerstone of peace and stability in Kosovo and the region for more than two decades.
“Our aspiration to join NATO is not merely a strategic choice, but a reflection of who we are,” Osmani said. “In a period when threats to peace are increasingly rising, the Alliance is stronger when it stands with truly committed partners, and our people in Kosovo have demonstrated this time and again through their resilience, reforms, and determination.”
Maj. Gen. Ulutas said his priority would be to ensure a safe environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo.
“We are ready and fully determined to carry out our mission for lasting peace and regional stability in Kosovo,” he said, adding that KFOR would support dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia as “the path to stability.”
Ulutas also commanded KFOR in the 2023–24 term.
Turkish troops have been part of KFOR since its establishment on June 12, 1999, following a U.N. Security Council resolution. The force currently includes more than 4,500 personnel from 33 NATO and non-NATO countries.
Separately, KFOR announced Sunday that the Turkish Operational Reserve Force (ORF) Battalion had completed its deployment to Kosovo as part of a temporary rotation.
“The Turkish ORF Battalion will conduct a range of activities alongside other KFOR units, ready to respond to any developments in the security situation,” KFOR said in a statement. “Such reinforcements enhance KFOR’s operational flexibility and readiness to respond to evolving security developments.”
The unit assumed responsibilities from the Multinational ORF Battalion under a rotation plan overseen by NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy.
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