PRISTINA, Kosovo

Turkish soldiers serving in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) provided the Balkan nation's security personnel with sniper shooting training to improve their operational capabilities, said an official statement issued on Saturday.

The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) statement said the training was conducted as part of collaboration with the Turkish Armed Forces to improve their readiness for crisis management operations, civil defense, and emergency response.

Established in 2009, the KSF began transitioning into armed forces in 2018, a process expected to take 10 years.

Since 1999, Turkish troops have supported KFOR missions and contributed to the KSF’s development, with many Turkish-made weapons in the KSF’s inventory.

In December 2024, Kosovo’s government signed an agreement with Turkish defense company MKE to establish a factory for producing ammunition of various calibers, expected to begin operations soon.

*Writing by Merve Berker