Five people were arrested in Kosovo on Monday on suspicion of throwing petrol bombs at the Turkish consulate in the southern town of Prizren, the town's Chief Prosecutor Syle Hoxha said.
Police said no one was injured and only minor damage was caused. The motive was unclear, as Turkey is a major investor in Kosovo and has been one of the biggest supporters of its independence since it seceded from Serbia in 2008.
Kosovo media reported that before the attack, a group of people torn down Turkish flags that had been put up across the town together with Albanian flags. Ethnic Turks account for five percent of the population in Prizren.
Kosovo and neighboring Albania on Monday celebrated a Flag Day holiday marking the 104th anniversary of Albanian independence from the Ottoman Empire.
Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj condemned the attack. "The relations between Kosovo and Turkey are excellent and will not be damaged by any vandalism or isolated act," he said in a statement.
The statement added that Hoxhaj contacted Turkey's Ambassador to Kosovo Kıvılcım Kılıç.
Kılıç said the attack could not harm relations between Turkey and Kosovo.
"This and similar attacks or rhetoric cannot harm relations between our two countries," she told reporters at the consulate.
"It was an incident that should not have happened. The fact that it happened in Kosovo also makes us sad. Because we are friendly countries. Our two countries' relations are perfect in every respect and there may those who want to destroy these relations. We see this as an isolated incident," she said.
The Kosovar Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack.
"This is an irresponsible barbaric assault against a democratic, multinational country like Kosovo," the ministry said in a statement.
Kosovar Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj also contacted Kilic and highlighted that ties between the two countries remain excellent and no "barbaric" act can harm them, the statement added.
The Kosovar government condemned the attack in a written statement, as did Parliament Speaker Fikrim Damka.
"I would like to express my belief that these people targeting the Turkish-Albanian [Kosovar] brotherhood will be punished immediately. Kosovo's Turkish community reiterates once again our gratitude to the Republic of Turkey with all of our Albanian, Bosniak, Roma, and Gorani brothers," said Damka.
Turkish firms run Pristina airport and an electricity distribution company, while a construction group has won contracts worth $2 billion to build sections of highway.
Kosovo is a former Serbian province with nearly 1.8 million people, over 90 percent of whom were Kosovar Albanians.
It declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008, and is recognized by over 100 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany and Turkey.
Serbia, Russia and China are among countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo's independence.
