Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül announced in Ankara that Türkiye's military contingent headed to Lebanon would serve strictly in a peacekeeping capacity, with no combat mandate.
Gül stressed that the terms of the deployment, including what weapons troops may carry and the conditions under which they may use them, must be spelled out in a formal document before the mission begins. He noted that the parliamentary motion submitted that day explicitly excludes any role in disarming local factions.
The minister added that Turkish forces would also assist in coordinating humanitarian relief efforts. He emphasized that troops must retain the right to defend themselves, saying that denying them that authority would put their lives at risk.
Gül also praised Hikmet Çetin, who had just concluded his tenure as NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan. He credited Çetin with strengthening ties between Türkiye and Afghanistan during his posting, and noted that Çetin received several honors for his service, including a NATO medal.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.