STAR)- Columnist Murat Celik comments on Gen. Kivrikoglu’s preparations for a visit to Afghanistan. A summary of his column is as follows:
Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu is expected to visit Afghanistan at the end of July. No official statement was supplied by the General Staff headquarters, but preparations for this visit have already started. Today, Turkey has 267 military personnel in Afghanistan. This number is to more than double to 500-plus after it takes the control of the peacekeeping force (ISAF) in June. Reports conveyed to Ankara from the region shows that the number of military troops should be increased day by day. The needs of the region are more than what was initially expected. The Turkish Armed Force (TSK) update their plans almost every day. Turkish troops will start to inherit the Afghanistan command by the end of this month. Preparations will made, order will be established and Maj. Gen. Akin Zorlu will visit the region on June 20-30. After meeting with his British counterpart, Zorlu will take command of the ISAF. Soon thereafter, the Turkish force is planning to receive an important guest from Ankara. Kivrikoglu should be in Kabul by the end of July. The General Staff chief will visit Afghanistan barring any major security problems. According to preliminary plans, Kivrikoglu is expected to visit the region with commanders-in-chief of the armed forces. This visit is expected to be the most important visit of Kivrikoglu before his mission comes to an end on August 30. Now everybody is waiting for Turkey and Zorlu to take the command of the ISAF and give a fixed date for Kivrikoglu’s visit to the region.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION