- publish: 17 December 2020
- time: 9:53 am
- category: Politics
- No: 16327
Turkish troops presence increases in Afghanistan
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday submitted a motion to parliament to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan for 18 months as part of NATO’s support mission.
“Turkey, which has deep friendship and brotherhood ties with Afghanistan, has always backed the unity, integrity and independence of Afghanistan,” the motion read.
The motion will be debated in parliament after December 18, Anadolu Agency reported. Local media reports state that Turkey has about 1,200 soldiers in Afghanistan.
A legislation was put into effect on January 6, 2019, allowing the Turkish government to send troops to Afghanistan to support the NATO-led mission Resolute Support.
The legislation that was first passed in 2015 also grants the government authority to permit foreign army personnel to be transported to and from Afghanistan through Turkey, Anadolu Agency reported.