Albania aims to establish 'sovereign state' for Bektashi Order
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The state is expected to follow a "Vatican-style" enclave that lacks traditional sovereign features such as security personnel and courts.
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Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama speaks during an interview with AFP in Tirana, Albania, on April 8, 2019. (AFP)
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed on Saturday plans to establish a "Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order" in the Albania capital city of Tirana to "promote a tolerant version of Islam that Albania is proud of."
Tirana aims to create a "Vatican-style" enclave for the Islamic Sufi mystic order, Anadolu reported, citing details the PM's media office provided in a New York Times interview.
"We must take care of this treasure, which is religious tolerance and which we must never take for granted," he told NYT, asserting the initiative’s goal of highlighting Albania’s tradition of religious coexistence.
The state is expected to be a quarter of the size of Vatican City, while lacking traditional sovereign features such as security personnel and courts.
The prime minister implied the plans would be announced soon, although the establishment would take time.
According to the nation's recent census data, the Betkashi Order comprised 115,000 of Albania's 2.4 million population.
