Off the wire
• Chinese Embassy in Bissau termed best embassy in 2014  • HK's gov't delegation to visit Fujian  • Gold price close higher in Hong Kong  • Bangladeshi police removes barricades to ex-PM's office after weeks  • Ivanovic out as Nadal, Murray wins 1st round at Australian Open  • Bangladeshi police arrest four IS suspects  • Foreign exchange rates in Hong Kong  • "American Sniper" wins weekly box office  • Presidential guards, Shiite Houthis clash in Yemen's capital  • Roundup: Hong Kong stocks close 1.51 pct lower  
You are here: 　 Home

Turkey to increase number of soldiers in Afghanistan to 1,100

Xinhua, January 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Turkey will increase the number of its soldiers in Afghanistan from 700 to 1,100, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

"We will increase the number of military forces in Afghanistan. We have nearly 700 soldiers; next year we'll increase to 1,100," Cavusoglu said.

He said Turkey will continue to train and equip Afghan security forces, a mission that will be conducted in both Afghanistan and Turkey.

Cavusoglu said Turkey will spend 50 million euro (about 57.83 million U.S. dollars) in running Kabul International Airport. Turkey now manages the airport, which is used for both military and civilian purposes, on a two-year term.

Turkey will continue supporting development projects in such areas as infrastructure, agriculture, schools, and hospitals in Afghanistan, the minister said.

The Turkish parliament authorized the government on Jan. 6 to continue posting of Turkish troops in Afghanistan for two more years under a new NATO mission.

The new legislation also grants the government authority to permit foreign army personnel to be transported to and from Afghanistan through Turkey. Endit