ANKARA, Jan 18 (A.A) - Ankara which adopts equal position towards ethnic groups in Afghanistan is trying to prevent Uzbek General Rashid Dostum's visit to Turkey from damaging this careful position.
Sources said on Friday that Afghan Deputy Defense Minister Dostum who had come from Afghanistan where stability has been settled for the moment after formation of the interim government to Ankara on Thursday to see his family, met with the General Staff officers the same day.
Speaking to the A.A correspondent, sources said that Dostum who had not yet contacted officially with the Foreign Ministry would spend his week-end with his family and he would have other contacts and undergo a check-up.
Schedule for his possible meetings with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem had not been set yet as Ecevit and Cem were currently holding contacts in the United States.
An official at the Afghan Embassy in Ankara said yesterday that Dostum had come to Ankara on a personal visit, but he would meet with Ecevit, Cem and deputy prime ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz.