Gonul: Defense Ministry Has Not Received Any Formal Request For Dispatch Of Turkish Troops To Afghanistan

ANKARA - Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul has said that the Turkish National Defense Ministry had not received yet a formal request for dispatch of Turkish troops to Afghanistan.
Gonul answered questions of reporters following his meeting on Thursday with Georgian Defense Minister Gela Bezhuashvili.
Replying to a question which said, ''the Turkish Prime Minister said that the United States had asked Turkey to send soldiers to Afghanistan. Is it a request of the United States or is it a request under the NATO?'' Gonul said, ''the Turkish National Defense Ministry has not received any formal request yet.''
''Such activities are conducted under the NATO. We couldn't even send yet three helicopters which are a part of such NATO activities. Because Luxembourg promised that it would finance the dispatch of those helicopters, but we have not received any money yet. Other factors will be assessed in course of time,'' he said.
Asked whether the request in question should be perceived under NATO framework, Gonul said, ''there can't be any other kind of request. We have not received anything yet, but there can't be any other kind of request. Afghanistan has been consigned to the NATO. All our missions there are under the NATO framework. The three helicopters we allocate are under the NATO framework and our soldiers fulfil their duty in Afghanistan under NATO framework.''
(MS-AÖ) 20.05.2004