MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the mission Turkey took on in Kabul yesterday. A summary of his column is as follows:
Turkey has started to shoulder a proud but difficult international mission thousands of kilometers away from its borders. A Turkish commander, Brigadier Gen. Akin Zorlu, is commanding the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is a peacekeeping force consisting of 4,800 people from 19 nations responsible for ensuring security in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul. The Turkish commander took over his duty from British Gen. McColl yesterday and he will continue the critical mission of this international force, which also includes 1,000 Turkish soldiers, for six months.
Obviously, it is a great diplomatic achievement for Turkey to undertake peace and security in Afghanistan, which has been the focus of the entire world for months, and to help this country with its reconstruction. Thus, Ankara is taking advantage of the opportunity to display its regional role and activity on the international stage.
It wasn’t easy for Turkey to achieve such a success. Actually Turkey voluntarily requested this task, which nearly nobody seemed to be willing to accept at first, but Ankara put forth some ‘technical’ conditions to accept this risky business: the area of operations will be well defined, logistical support will be ensured, financial aid will be extended, etc.
At the end of a round of hard bargaining, most of these conditions were met or it was promised that they would be met, as in the issue of financial aid. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Turkey’s mission in Afghanistan (and its presence which is soon expected to reach 1,400 people) is extremely dangerous.
The situation in Afghanistan is by no means settled yet. Armed attacks occur even in Kabul, and the ethnic tension and clashes still go on. In such an atmosphere, it is very difficult to administer a multinational force which is responsible for ensuring peace and security within rather narrow limits of authority.
Actually, Afghans love and show sympathy towards Turkey generally. Therefore, Turkey has more advantages there than other countries. We believe that Gen. Zorlu will use these advantages and Turkey’s privileges in the best way possible.
Turkey’s taking over the new military mission in Afghanistan coincides with the time in which the political situation in Afghanistan is becoming normal, and this development is somewhat reassuring.
The traditional Loya Jirga assembly, consisting of 1,500 delegates, convened and elected Hamid Kharzai as the leader of the country, and Kharzai declared the temporary government by taking various ethnic and political balances into consideration. This government will be in power until general elections to be held in 2004 and meanwhile it will try to ensure peace and security, national unity, reconstruction and economic development in the country.
The latest steps show that Afghanistan might attain a normal life after strife which has lasted nearly a quarter-century. Afghans will need all kinds of support from other countries in this hard and difficult road. Turkey might be one of the leading countries which ensures this support in not only the military sphere, but also in the other fields, including the economy, and which plays a role towards this end.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION