Tuesday, 27 February 2007Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey is not in Afghanistan only for military purposes, but it also aims to win the hearts of the Afghan people, speaking at a press conference after his meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Rengin Dadfar Spanta.
"We believe that it is the most important thing to win the hearts of the Afghan people," Gul said, underlining that relations between Turkey and Afghanistan have deep roots in history.
Stating that one of the two independent Muslim states after World War I was Afghanistan, while the other was Turkey, Gul said, "Our leader Ataturk and Afghan leader Emanullah Han together strengthened the friendship and fellowship between the two countries, which endures even today."
Noting that Turkey is to take over the command of NATO forces in the Kabul region, Gul said, "Turkey is not in Afghanistan only for military purposes. It also aims to win the hearts of the Afghan people. Some 35,000 Afghan students are being educated in schools built by Turkey. Everyday, 900,000 Afghans are treated in hospitals that have been built by Turkey. These are the signs of Turkey's humanitarian aims in Afghanistan."
Spanta also highlighted the strong ties between two countries, stating that the efforts of Turkey in educational issues are especially noteworthy.
"Last year, 28 Afghani diplomats were sent to Turkey for education. Another 25 diplomats are also to be sent to Turkey this year," he said, stressing the importance of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Spanta expressed his gratitude to Turkey in Turkish at the end of the press conference.
The New Anatolian
27 February 2007 |
Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Turkey aims to win the hearts of Af
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