ANKARA, Feb 15 (A.A) - Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu said on Friday that the Turkish Armed Forces will continue to support all kinds of initiatives and the fight with terrorism which will contribute to the regional and world peace together with the armed forces of friendly countries.
A ceremony was held at the 28th Mechanized Infantryman Brigade in Ankara upon the departure of the Turkish Union to take part in the International Security Assitance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
Sending a message to the ceremony, Gen. Kivrikoglu said that the basis of the Turkish foreign policy is the directive of Ataturk which is ''peace at home and peace in the world.''
''The basic aim of the Turkish Armed Forces is to support this peaceful policy. Therefore, the Turkish unit has been charged to contribute to the installation of peace in friendly Afghanistan and to help the ISAF which is in Kabul,'' he said.
Noting that the the terrorist attacks on September 11 in the U.S. showed once again that terrorism could only be prevented by the total resistance of all world countries against terrorism, Gen. Kivrikoglu said that ''Turkish Armed Forces which is one of the basic elements in ensuring peace and security and installation of stability in its region, has been charged in many regions from Korea to Somali from Bosnia to Kosovo to contribute to installation and continuation of international peace and security.''
Calling on the Turkish soldiers, Kivrikoglu said that ''you will contribute to the installation of peace in Afghanistan with your discipline, physical and spiritual strength and objective practices. I wish you health and success in this historical mission which has been given to the Turkish Armed Force.''
Umit Ata Narin, the commander of Turkish unit to be deployed in Afghanistan, said that they were going to Kabul to help the Afghans who had to leave their houses and lands.
Speaking at the ceremony held to see off the Turkish unit, Narin said that they were determined to fulfil their responsibilities in Afghanistan.
Narin noted that the unit was comprised of a total of 267 people, including 14 officers, 21 non-commissioned officers, 232 privates.
They were ready for every mission in Afghanistan with 17 vehicles, modern weapons and equipment, Narin said.
Narin added that they would accomplish their mission.
Land Forces Commander Hilmi Ozkok said on Friday that he had no doubt that Turkish unit to be deployed in Afghanistan would accomplish its mission and be appreciated by the whole world.
Ozkok sent a message to the ceremony held to see off Turkish units to join the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul.
Hilmi Ozkok said that this unit would represent Turkey in a foreign country and stressed that it would once more show Turkey's bravery, helping hand, and discipline to whole world.
Ozkok noted that Turkish soldiers would not only contribute to world peace and security, but also have a role in ensuring security of the Afghan people, with whom they had historical friendly ties.
Land Forces Commander Ozkok expressed his belief that Turkish unit would overcome all the problems and difficulties it would meet and wished success to the soldiers in their mission in Afghanistan.
TURKEY ASKS FOR AIR SUPPORT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR AFGHAN FORCE
Turkey, which is expected to take over the command of peace force in Afghanistan mid-April, has asked for air support and financial assistance.
Since the international force in Afghanistan is not in mission under the United Nations (U.N.) command, the countries taking part in the force meet their expenses by themselves.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said that he thought that Afghan peace force should continue its mission for at least 18 months. Annan and high-level U.N. officials are trying to convince Bush administration about this issue.
Sources from the United Nations said on Friday that when Annan had a meeting with U.S. President George Bush on Wednesday, he drew the attention that the term of mandate of peace force under command of Britain was six months.
The sources quoted Annan as stressing that there was a need for at least 18 months to establish a reliable army and peace force in Afghanistan.
When Hamid Karzai, the head of the interim government in Afghanistan, had a meeting with Bush last month and addressed the U.N. Security Council in New York, he requested that the soldiers of peace force be increased and its term of mission be extended.
Bush was not away from that thought but he noted that general Tommy Franks, who was conducting the war in Afghanistan, was the person to say the last word, the sources said.
The sources noted that Franks was against the views that the peace force should also work outside capital Kabul.
Annan's Special Envoy for Afghanistan Lahkdar Brahimi for Afghanistan held contacts with the countries sending troops to Afghanistan like Britain, France, and Germany and asked those countries to provide the mission of peace force also outside Kabul, the sources stated.
The sources claimed that despite this, many countries refrained from giving extra units to be deployed outside Kabul because they did not want to intervene in the internal conflicts among Afghan tribe leaders.
U.N. sources said that some countries put forth their view that there was need for at least 7,000 soldiers to be deployed in seven regions in Afghanistan outside Kabul.
Around 3,000 soldiers are deployed in Kabul for the time being.
Britain, which is currently commanding the peace force, is expected to hand over the mission to Turkey mid-April.