What is happening in Albania?

The "Albanian spirit" of the Albanian people has flared up again; and this time, it has the potential to drag the entire Mediterranean and Europe along with it.

The most fervent and fundamental political reaction from the public in the Balkans in recent years is shaking the country. Thousands of people have been filling the streets of the capital, Tirana, and Vlorë for a week in protests that the Western media has chosen to ignore.

At the center of the backlash are the US and Israel. Although they are not the starting point of the events, Washington and Tel Aviv are the targets on the protesters' banners and in their slogans. The individuals seen as the culprits and the direct targets are US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his daughter, Ivanka. The public has been up in arms ever since the couple's plan to transform Sazan Island—which was once a Soviet military base—off the coast of Albania into a massive luxury resort came to light.

Why are the names in the crosshairs being targeted?

With Kushner and Ivanka's project, Sazan and Zvërnec islands, which belong to Albania, are being opened up to "tourism." Of course, it is a different kind of tourism. In the words of Yalçın Küçük, we can say that "human degradation" is once again being used as an excuse or a front in this charming corner of the Balkans:

"Perhaps one of the most ignoble words must be 'tourism'; we can understand communism or socialism. But the 'ism' of tour corresponds to the degradation of man, and over time, I am beginning to understand it as the movement of the ignoble." (Caligula: Saralı Cumhur, p. 16)

Continuing with Küçük, familiar actors stand out behind this project, which has the potential to turn an already mafia-ridden, externally dependent region (the entire Balkan geography, broader than just Albania) into a completely subservient society. According to a report on the subject by Fırat Çelik from GZT, while the initiative undertaken by Kushner's investment fund, Affinity Partners, is expected to cost 6 billion dollars, it is stated that the funding will come from the Gulf and Israel.

The project has everything: luxury hotels with thousands of rooms, a marina, private villas... While the "Dubai-fication" of Istanbul is being discussed, we are now faced with the project of the "Dubai-fication" of Albania. However, this picture is alarming not only to Albanians but also to internet users from all corners of the world. Indeed, there is a fear that Little Saint James or Epstein Island, which was used as an operations base following the revelations of the documents of the late Jeffrey Epstein, will be moved to this geography.

Speculations and allegations aside, the overall picture and the connections have been drawing protesters to the streets for days to reflect their reactions to many names, from "Socialist" Party Prime Minister Edi Rama to Ivanka. As we learned from Harici, Ivanka visited the country earlier this year and actually visited Sazan Island, which is within a national park, during this time.

Rama, who claims that the project is "fake news" and that the street protests are Iranian-backed, was also protested last February due to corruption allegations. Rama, who is striving to get Albania into the EU, has drawn reactions not only for his eccentric poses with EU leaders but also for his statements during his visit to Israel in January 2026. In his speech at the Knesset, saying, "My knees are shaking from being in front of Netanyahu, one of the world's greatest orators," Rama made the following call during his meeting with the Israeli President:

"By the way, we are ready to welcome with open arms all Israelis who want to come here [to Albania], whether they are tourists, entrepreneurs, artists, writers; whether they are in high-tech or people who care for the elderly. Our doors are open to those who want to build their homes in this country, in the heart of Europe, on the shores of two seas, surrounded by many rivers. In a very small geography, in a country as small as Albania, there is a nature where you can find everything you are looking for."

The Big Picture: Is the "Target the Mediterranean"?

Although the actions in Albania are currently on the agenda of the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, when looking at the "big picture," one cannot help but ask, "Is the target the Mediterranean?"

Indeed, we are about to enter the anniversary of the Iran-Israel-US War. During this process, in the last year, many reports about Israeli investors and entrepreneurs have come to the fore. It is being written and discussed that the Tel Aviv administration, which wants to form a front against Turkey together with Greece and Southern Cyprus, has increased its activities, especially in the south of the island.

Of course, these activities are not limited to military and political moves. According to a report in May by Ecem Şahinli Ögüç from Anadolu Agency, the village of Trozena in the city of Limassol has been purchased by Israelis, and the Greek Cypriot population is being prevented from entering the region.

While reading many analyses about the security of Northern Cyprus and that the "motherland's little sister" is being targeted by Israel, we see that this place is also on the route of Israeli investors and settlers. Likewise, after the Iran War intensified, many Israeli citizens fled to Northern Cyprus as well as the South. In fact, according to a report by Emir Abdurrahman Bulut from Independent Türkçe dated August 2025, it was written that Chabad and various capitalists have been acquiring property there for a long time. So much so that the TRNC administration and the Israeli press clashed last year after the headlines of "Northern Cyprus is also an Israeli problem" increased.

The Jerusalem Post, on the other hand, drew attention with its report on a different country again in May 2026: The Israeli company IDM Kalamata Monoprosopi AE, which plans to make an investment of 136.5 million euros in Kalamata in southern Greece, is also the owner of a project that will attract foreign tourists and those who want to acquire property to the region.

Of course, in a "laissez-faire" economy, the nationality and identity of capital do not matter. For this reason, authorities like the Albanian Government, who are accelerating the opening to the West and want to attract foreign capital to the country, do not care where the source comes from. However, when looking at the "big picture" and glancing at the points where investments and reports and reactions regarding them are increasing, it is difficult not to see that something is developing on the European shores of the Eastern Mediterranean.

At least the Albanian activists think so, and in the first week of the demonstrations, they are still filling the streets with harsh slogans. As Rama claims, perhaps this is not the biggest protest he has faced, but we are not talking about a dampened reaction either. The most frightening reality for him is this: The Albanian people from all walks of life and all views are coming together to protest him and this project. Will these actions bring down the government or create a kind of domino effect in Europe? It is too early to talk about this. But let us not forget that the rest of the Europeans, like the Albanians and their other neighbors, are aware that the pot is not boiling and that, despite this, their governments are busy with matters that do not quite align with the country's interests. As a result, it seems we may see similar actions to those in Tirana in many more countries this summer.