Turkish Foreign Minister Tells British Daily Nato Making Mistake In Afghanistan

LONDON - Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has warned that NATO was courting a disaster in Afghanistan by relying too much on force to defeat the Taliban.
"If the people of that country start to perceive the security forces as occupiers, it's going to be a very complicated situation," Babacan told an interview with the British Daily Telegraph.
"What is important is winning their hearts and minds."
Babacan rejected the criticisms from British and US officials that have been directed recently at Turkey and other NATO members for refusing to deploy their troops to the country's troubled south and east regions, the Telegraph said.
The Telegraph cited Babacan's concern that the shift to a more militaristic approach would backfire and ultimately undermine the Afghan government.
(YMB-AÖ)