The Turkish parliament approved a government motion to contribute troops to a European Union peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that emerged from five years of civil war with UN, US, and EU assistance.
Congo is preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 30 July, costing $500 million and funded by the UN and EU. Instability in the country's eastern regions, along with unruly armed factions, prompted EU member states to organize a security force of roughly 2,000 personnel drawn from 25 countries.
Türkiye will contribute a C-130 transport aircraft, 15 crew members, and liaison officers to the operation. Some Turkish military personnel publicly questioned the deployment's purpose, reflecting broader uncertainty about the mission's potential scope, since European officials have not ruled out combat engagement if armed groups reject the election outcome.
Congo, home to 62 million people, holds vast reserves of gold, diamonds, cobalt, and copper. Analysts see the mission as part of wider Western efforts to secure influence in Africa against competing interests from China and Russia.
For Türkiye, the deployment adds to its record of contributions to international peacekeeping, following earlier missions in Somalia and Darfur. There is also a historical footnote: Turkish constitutional scholar Mumtaz Soysal was among those who signed the Congolese constitution.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.