ANKARA - Three helicopters and 56 flight and maintenance personnel were charged to serve International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Turkish General Staff said on Thursday.
A statement of Turkish General Staff said that establishing an administration in Afghanistan which ensured internal stability and which could fulfil its international obligations in order to restore peace and security of Afghan people was among targets of NATO and Turkey.
The statement added, ''to this end, Turkey continues its contributions to ISAF, functioning under NATO leadership, since the beginning of the operation on Afghanistan. In line with NATO's demand and as a requirement of its responsibilities as a NATO member country, Turkey has decided to charge three helicopters to meet the needs in Afghanistan.''
''Helicopters which will be used within the scope of ISAF and 56 flight and maintenance personnel will leave for Kabul on May 29,'' the statement added.
Turkey took over command of ISAF from Britain on June 20, 2002. General Hilmi Akin Zorlu, the commander of Turkish troops in Afghanistan, was the commander of ISAF till February 10, 2003.
Turkey handed over ISAF command to Germany and the Netherlands in a ceremony on February 2, 2003.
(BRC-AÖ) 27.05.2004