A Vow to Assist Afghans in Rebuilding Country
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit invited Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai to visit Turkey and promised assistance in building a national army and police force in Afghanistan.
Muslim Turkey has campaigned for an influential role in shaping the war-ravaged country’s future, including a pledge of troops for the new British-led peacekeeping force. Ankara has not yet announced how many soldiers it will deploy.
“Prime Minister Ecevit in a letter [to Karzai] made it known Turkey was ready for every kind of assistance to establish a national army and police force and provide the necessary training,” said a statement from Ecevit’s office, adding Turkey “has vast experience in this area.”
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