A send-off ceremony held at the 4th Army Corps Command headquarters in Ankara marked the departure of Turkish military personnel bound for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in October 2006. Corps Commander Gen. Saldiray Berk noted that Türkiye has contributed to peacekeeping under UN, OSCE, and EU frameworks across multiple countries, including Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.
The contingent heading to Lebanon consists of fortification and construction units tasked with providing humanitarian assistance. The force includes 237 soldiers, 24 civilians, and 46 vehicles, five of which are construction equipment. The troops were scheduled to sail from the southern port of Mersin on 19 October aboard the TCG Iskenderun frigate, bound for the Lebanese town of Sur.
A second frigate, TCG Gaziantep, had already arrived in Lebanese waters the previous week to conduct maritime security operations in nearby coastal zones. In total, 681 Turkish personnel will serve in Lebanon, where their responsibilities will include sea and air transport support for partner nations, training of the Lebanese armed forces, and patrol and reconnaissance missions along the East Mediterranean coast.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.