KABUL, Afghanistan – Turkey 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, according to sources.
Turkey has about 1,200 soldiers in Afghanistan under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) support mission.
“Turkey, which has deep friendship and brotherhood ties with Afghanistan, has always backed the unity, integrity and independence of Afghanistan,” the statement read.
The motion will be debated in parliament after December 18, as local media Anadolu Agency reported.
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.
This came days after the Afghan and Turkey government signed Military-Financial Cooperation Agreement and the International Protocol of Financial Assistance in Ankara, providing a five-year financial aid to Afghan forces.
The financial aid that sums up around $13 million, will furnish Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) with military equipment for at least five upcoming years, according to the statement posted by the Afghanistan Embassy in Turkey.
