Turkish soldiers arrived today in Kosovo in order to strengthen the multinational peacekeeping force, KFOR, after clashes with protesting Serbs, during which about 30 of their soldiers were injured, announced NATO.

Last week, NATO said it would send some 700 reinforcements because of the post-municipal election violence and disputed results in northern Kosovo. About 500 Turkish soldiers make up the bulk of this reinforcement and “will be stationed in Kosovo for as long as needed,” the Alliance said.

A multinational reserve force battalion is also on alert, ready to reinforce KFOR “if necessary”.

Protests erupted after the Kosovo government decided to appoint Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority cities in northern Kosovo. Serbs have boycotted the municipal elections and consider the result invalid as turnout hovered around 3.5%.

Last Monday, 30 KFOR soldiers were injured in clashes with protesters who threw rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails at them. The demonstrators demanded the withdrawal of the Kosovo police special forces and the Albanian mayors.

^{Source: APE, AFP, Reuters.}