Turkey to take over ISAF's Kabul command

Fri Oct 2, 2009

The Turkish military says it is set to beef up its Afghanistan contingent before taking over the command of security in and around Kabul for a year.

The number of troops will increase from around 900 to some 1,700 before November, when Turkey assumes the Kabul regional command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Anatolia news agency quoted Gen. Metin Gurak as saying.

The head of the communication office of the Turkish General Staff stressed the mission of the Turkish force would not change and that "they will not be involved in fighting terrorism, combating drug-trafficking and mine clearing."

Turkey plans to train and equip 450 Afghan soldiers by May and continue helping in reconstruction efforts, he told reporters during a Friday press briefing. Turkish troop deployment for the mission began late in September and would be completed within ten days, Gurak said.

Despite US calls on other NATO member states to step up their role in the Afghan war, many countries, including Turkey, have shown reluctance.

Instead, Ankara prefers to engage in improving services for the Afghan people, and rebuilding the country's infrastructure shattered in years of relentless war with foreign troops and, Taliban and al-Qaeda-fueled insurgency.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/107664.html.