A ceremony was held on Friday to see off an additional Turkish unit to join a NATO-led mandate in Afghanistan amid preparations by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to take over the regional command mission in Kabul on April 6.
The Turkish unit is made up of approximately 350 personnel including 65 commissioned and noncommissioned officers. A female captain will also be included within the same unit.
�Our duty is to expand the influence and authority of the Afghan government with the help of the Afghan national forces, to restore stability and security in Kabul, to help Afghanistan become a self-sufficient state in line with today's structuring and to sustain regional stability,� Brig. Gen. Kasım Erdem said in a speech during the ceremony, also attended by the relatives of the Turkish unit.
The additional Turkish personnel from the TSK will be assigned for logistics and communication services of the regional command headquarters in Kabul after Turkey assumes the task between April 6 and Dec. 6. After Turkey assumes the regional command, the number of Turkish troops in Afghanistan will rise to 1,000.
The Kabul Regional Command was formed under the joint leadership of Turkey, France and Italy in August 2006, carrying out mission in parallel to works of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to assist the Afghan government in security and restructuring.
In the meantime, the TSK will also take over the command of the Multinational Task Force South deployed in the southern region of Kosovo in May for 12 months. Turkish soldiers also serve in Lebanon as part of the U.N. peacekeeping force there.
In September, the Turkish Parliament approved a government motion to send troops to Lebanon, making Turkey the first Muslim country to contribute ground troops to the mission.
Turkish Daily News, LINK
The Turkish unit is made up of approximately 350 personnel including 65 commissioned and noncommissioned officers. A female captain will also be included within the same unit.
�Our duty is to expand the influence and authority of the Afghan government with the help of the Afghan national forces, to restore stability and security in Kabul, to help Afghanistan become a self-sufficient state in line with today's structuring and to sustain regional stability,� Brig. Gen. Kasım Erdem said in a speech during the ceremony, also attended by the relatives of the Turkish unit.
The additional Turkish personnel from the TSK will be assigned for logistics and communication services of the regional command headquarters in Kabul after Turkey assumes the task between April 6 and Dec. 6. After Turkey assumes the regional command, the number of Turkish troops in Afghanistan will rise to 1,000.
The Kabul Regional Command was formed under the joint leadership of Turkey, France and Italy in August 2006, carrying out mission in parallel to works of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to assist the Afghan government in security and restructuring.
In the meantime, the TSK will also take over the command of the Multinational Task Force South deployed in the southern region of Kosovo in May for 12 months. Turkish soldiers also serve in Lebanon as part of the U.N. peacekeeping force there.
In September, the Turkish Parliament approved a government motion to send troops to Lebanon, making Turkey the first Muslim country to contribute ground troops to the mission.
Turkish Daily News, LINK
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