Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, announced plans on Saturday to establish a sovereign Muslim state in Tirana for the Bektashi religious order, akin to the Vatican in Rome, with the aim of upholding and promoting religious tolerance. The proposed enclave for the Islamic Sufi order, if realized, would be one of the world's smallest states. It would have its own administration but no taxation or police force, and would not challenge Albania's sovereignty.
During a ceremony commemorating the 95th anniversary of the relocation of the Bektashi World Center to Albania from Turkey, Rama emphasized the historical significance of granting the holy seat a status akin to that of the Vatican. He described the envisioned symbolic state as "without walls, police, army, taxes, or other conventional attributes, but rather a spiritual headquarters."
Rama did not provide specifics regarding the timeline, noting that the Albanian parliament would need to approve the proposal. Established in the thirteenth century within the Ottoman Empire as a branch of Sufism, the Bektashi order has been based in Albania since 1929, following restrictions imposed by the Turkish Republic under Kemal Ataturk.
Last year, Rama announced Albania's intention to establish a state in the eastern part of Tirana to serve as a spiritual hub for the Bektashis, both in Albania and across the region, including Kosovo and North Macedonia. Approximately 10% of Albania's population identifies as Bektashi, according to the latest census.