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Wednesday, December 16, 2009     GET REAL

After meeting Obama, Turkey's leader rethinking decision on troops to Afghanistan

ANKARA — Just days after the government rejected a U.S. request, Turkey has resumed consideration of a NATO proposal to send additional troops to Afghanistan.   

Officials said Turkey's government and military were again examining a U.S. request to send hundreds of additional troops to Afghanistan. But they stressed that the soldiers would not assume a combat role.

Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, who in early December ruled out additional troops to Afghanistan, has not reaffirmed Turkey's rejection of the U.S. request, Middle East Newsline reported. Erdogan, who concluded a visit to the United States, where he met President Barack Obama, said Ankara and Washington were cooperating on a range of issues.


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"Turkey is together the United States, especially in terms of the military," Erdogan said on Dec. 12. "As for politics, there are also areas where we cooperate within many different international organizations and commissions."

There is no final decision yet," Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency director Musa Kulaklikaya said. "But in case of dispatch, they will not join combat operations rather become involved in reconstruction and training missions."

In an interview with the Turkish daily Hurriyet, Kulaklikaya said Ankara was considering deploying additional military personnel to Afghanistan in 2010. He said the non-combat troops would form a second provincial reconstruction team, assigned to improve administration and security. Turkish soldiers have also been responsible for protecting Western- and Arab-sponsored development projects in agriculture, education and health in Afghanistan.

"The consultations are underway between the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the General Staff, NATO and Afghan authorities," Kulaklikaya said. "I think the project will be realized before the summer of 2010. An official announcement will probably be made by the end of December."

Over the last year, Ankara has twice increased the Turkish military presence as part of the NATO stabilization campaign in Afghanistan. Turkey has more than 1,700 soldiers in Afghanistan and engages in security training, education and medical evacuation missions.

Turkey has been operating a provincial reconstruction team in Wardak, 35 kilometers from Kabul. Ankara has asked NATO to take over a Swedish-led team in the northern province of Jowzjan scheduled to leave Afghanistan in 2010. Officials said 80 Turkish soldiers were expected to be deployed in Jowzjan.

"Rather than combat troops, we prefer a structure to serve the development projects in Afghanistan," Kulaklikaya said. "That’s why we have applied to establish a new PRT [provincial reconstruction team] in Jowzjan."

Turkey has also been providing instruction to Afghan government personnel in such areas as health and vocational training. Ankara has also helped establish a hospital in Jowzjan.



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