WASHINGTON D.C. - Commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) Gen. Hilmi Akin Zorlu said on Saturday that Turkey's successfully carrying out the command of ISAF in that critical country has showed the power of Turkey to the world once again.
Zorlu addressed a meeeting at The Washington Institute and held a news conference after meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Gen. Zorlu said in the news conference held for Turkish journalists that ''the Turkish soldiers showed in Afghanistan not only their military success, but also the fact that they learnt diplomacy.''
When reporters asked his most interesting memory during his five-month term in office, Gen. Zorlu said ''an Afghan who was 88 years old wanted to talk to me. He told me that he was a retired general who was trained in Turkey 45-50 years ago. He embraced me and told me in tears that Afghanistan had troubles after changing its education system which was similar to the one in Turkey. Afghan Head of State Hamid Karzai, and former king Zahir Shah told me the same thing. Ataturk sent officers and doctors to Afghanistan to support the then Afghan King Emanullah Khan although Turkey was under invasion during the War of Liberation. Later Turkey trained Afghans. Afghan people have never forgotten that.''
General Zorlu said that the former Taliban administration was harmful to the country, adding that Turkey will re-start to train Afghan military students, and officers in the new period.
Zorlu later explained the success of ISAF and the Turkish troop, the people's trust and positive impressions about ISAF as follows:
''-Turkey used its well trained soldiers who had earlier experience in NATO operations, in ISAF.
-ISAF under command of Turkey has not acted in a discriminary attitude towards the people.
-We respected the traditions of the people. For instance during Ramadan, we told the ISAF personnel not to eat or smoke in daytime when they are with local people.
-We were polite to everybody.
-We worked in good cooperation with Karzai, other Afghan officials and with the U.N. representative.
-We taught the Afghan security forces the method of assessing information and how to behave people.
-We didn't permit man personnel to search women.
-We gave technical training to Afghan security forces and we trained the Afghan guards.
-We supervised to mint and distribute new national money.
-We repaired the schools, hospitals and mosques.
-We fully supported the Afghan government and made broadcasts on radio.
-We have put into practice 35 projects which will improve the life standard of Afghan people.
-We lifted the curfew, which lasted for 23 years in Kabul, on November 3.
Zorlu said that U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who earlier visited Kabul, was impressed by the situation and expressed his pleasure on Turkey's command of ISAF and added, ''I also told Wolfowitz that a great amount of aid should be given to the country through central government to prevent the coming of a bad administration to Afghanistan.''
Stating that they wanted to hand over the ISAF commandership to Germany and the Netherlands on December 20, Zorlu said that it could be postponed due to several proceedings.
Zorlu quoted Afghan officials as saying that they wanted Turkey to continue to command ISAF, stating that Turkey promised to command ISAF for six months and it fulfilled its mission.
When asked whether the cost of peace keeping force operation became burden on Turkey, Zorlu said that Afghan people deserved whatever they did.
Upon a question on the possibility of extending ISAF's mandate to the whole country, Zorlu said that thousands of soldiers and source was necessary for it and added that he did not think that it could be done soon.
Zorlu said that Turkey did not receive any logistic support from NATO or United Nations (U.N.) for five months and added it solved every issue with its own sources since they took over the mission.
Zorlu, who will proceed to New York, will meet with the U.N. officials on Monday and Tuesday.