Pro-Turkey Albanian Leader’s War on the Greek Minority

By Christos Konstantinidis, Middle East Forum

Albania Is Pushing a Large Tourism Development Planned in the Environmentally Protected Narta Lagoon and Surrounding Area

There is a saying in Greece, “Give a villager confidence and he will climb into your bed,” to warn against those who take advantage of generosity. Today, this proverb describes the case of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has consolidated control over the country across four terms since 2013.

Rama has consciously modeled himself after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who increasingly is using Albania as a hub to promote Turkish interests and the region to potentially block the Israel-Greece-Cyprus alliance. Just as Erdoğan’s consolidation of power sparked environmental protests over development at Gezi Park in 2013, so too does Rama’s Erdoğan-esque authoritarianism now spark environmental protests that could threaten his grip, or at least bolster opposition.

On May 30, 2026, violence erupted in Zvërnec, near the city of Vlora in Albania, following protests by residents, environmental organizations, and community groups against a large tourism development planned in the environmentally protected Narta Lagoon and the surrounding area. According to complaints, a private security company guarding the site clashed with demonstrators when they attempted to breach the project’s perimeter fence. Security personnel reportedly assaulted protesters and injured a Greek citizen who later stated that he possesses legitimate property titles and that Albanian authorities erected a fence without informing landowners about their properties.

The Greek foreign ministry demanded an investigation and accountability from Albanian authorities. It also linked the protection of the rights of the Greek national minority in Albania and respect for the rule of law to Albania’s European integration process. Nevertheless, Rama’s response was provocative.

The Albanian prime minister not only attempted to downplay the seriousness of the incidents, but also claimed that he was unaware of the existence of a Greek population in the area seeking recognition and restitution of properties lost during the communist regime. He accused Greece of being behind the protests.

Property rights are a Pandora’s box in Albania. A striking example is the case of Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of Himara, who was arrested two days before municipal elections in May 2023 on fabricated allegations of vote-buying. Despite his arrest, he won the mayoralty by a narrow margin against the candidate backed by Rama’s Socialist Party. Because he was imprisoned, he was not allowed to be sworn in as mayor and was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison, leading to the annulment of his election victory.

Beleri’s ordeal, which ultimately led to his election as a member of the European Parliament on the slate of Greece’s New Democracy party after his release, became associated with attempts by Albanian authorities to appropriate and seize properties belonging to members of the Greek minority in the area, many of whom hold ownership titles dating back centuries. In both Himara and Zvërnec, expropriation of the Greek community’s property is a common denominator.

Zvërnec, however, is unique. It is one of the most pristine and environmentally sensitive areas of the Adriatic coast and is part of a protected marine park.

Despite this, the Rama government considers the region a “strategic” investment zone and reportedly amended environmental legislation virtually overnight to facilitate development.

Although media reports have linked President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s company to plans for a massive $4 billion tourism project, Kushner may be simply a bogeyman that Rama uses to suggest his own impunity, weaken local opposition, discourage dissent, and create the impression that anyone opposing the project is not merely confronting Tirana but also American interests.

The European Commission has sent a message to Albania that respect for the rights of Albania’s Greek minority, freedom of assembly, and preservation of environmentally sensitive areas impact Albania’s accession path toward the European Union. It is evident, however, that such reactions do not particularly concern the Albanian prime minister. The confidence displayed by Rama stems from the relationships he has cultivated with figures such as Kushner, Open Society Foundation chief Alex Soros, and Erdoğan, who uses Albania as he seeks to expand Turkish influence throughout the Balkans.

In this context, a statement heard in the U.S. Congress fits perfectly: “Washington’s silence against Erdoğan signals to other aspiring dictators,” such as Rama, “that they can pursue their ambitions” and not pay any cost for doing so.