Kurti Slams Rama, Honors Former KLA Commander Tahir Sinani: The Indomitable Freedom Fighter

Hero Tahir Sinani, a KLA commander who fell in the war for the liberation of Kosovo, was honored by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. The commemoration comes just a few months after Taulant Balla, head of the Socialist Party parliamentary group in Albania, shamefully used the martyr’s legacy to attack the citizens’ protest, which has been demanding the removal of the Rama government for two consecutive months.

A commemorative ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of Commander Tahir Sinani’s death was held yesterday in Pristina.

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti said this was the first commemorative ceremony for Sinani organized by Kosovo’s institutions, specifically by the government.

In his speech at the ceremony, Kurti described General Tahir Sinani as one of the most distinguished fighters for the national cause.

According to him, Sinani took part in some of the most glorious battles fought by Albanians in modern history.

“The indomitable freedom fighter. After he himself became involved in the very heart of the war. Despite this, he refused to place himself above the chain of command of the soldiers he had personally trained, insisting that he first undergo a personal test: his first confrontation with Serbian enemy forces. And that is exactly what happened. Years later, when Tahir Sinani was no longer alive among his fellow fighters, one of them, Rexhep Selimi, also well known for his multifaceted artistic creativity, would turn this act by Tahir Sinani into a poem that would be set to music as a song, which we have naturally included in today’s ceremony as well. Tahir Sinani concluded his involvement in the Kosovo war while serving as commander of the Pashtrik Operational Zone, and in the days of Kosovo’s liberation, he entered Prizren triumphantly at the head of his soldiers,” Kurti said, according to KosovaPress.

A few days earlier, in June 2026, Taulant Balla, as part of his attacks on the protesters, described KLA commander and National Hero Tahir Sinani as a paid mercenary.

The statement by the head of the Socialist Party parliamentary group sparked reactions in Kosovo, where it was condemned as a shameless act.

Sadik Halitjaha, Sinani’s former fellow fighter, also spoke at the ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of Tahir Sinani’s death. He said Sinani could be ranked alongside the epic heroes of the Albanian nation.

“He was a direct descendant of Mic Sokoli and had Albanian blood. As he himself used to say: ‘I could not stand by and watch while my brothers were being killed in Kosovo.’ He sought to meet people at training centers in northern Albania and made contact with the KLA supply center and commander-in-chief Azem Syla. There, he received instructions and the order to enter Kosovo. He entered Kosovo with a relatively small group of soldiers to establish a security perimeter, but he carried security in his heart and soul, because he had an automatic rifle in his hands. He entered with Ruzhdi Kryeziu and several other comrades with combat experience,” Halitjaha said.

Tahir Sinani took part in three wars, fought in Kosovo, Macedonia and the Preševo Valley.