Turks Take Over Kabul Peacekeeping
Louis Meixler, The Associated Press, KABUL, Afghanistan, June 21 (AP) - Turkey, NATO's only Muslim member, took command Thursday of the 19-nation international peacekeeping force guarding the Afghan capital, renewing a military association which dates back 80 years Turkish Gen. Hilmi Akin Zorlu accepted command of the more than 4,000-strong international force from Britain, which announced plans Thursday for deep cuts in its forces in Afghanistan.

"Turkey has willingly agreed to take over leadership with the aim of contributing to the peace and security that the Afghan people have long deserved," Zorlu said at a handover ceremony in Kabul.

"We shall do our best to enhance the peace and welfare of the people of Kabul," he said, and promised to "treat everyone equally and fairly."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai attended the ceremony and welcomed the new commander, saying Afghanistan and Turkey had a long history of friendship and that "the Afghan people feel secure" with the Turks. A Turkish marching band in long red jackets played, followed by a British band in camouflage uniforms playing pipes and drums.

The ceremony took place the day after Karzai was sworn in as head of a new government, which will rule the country until new elections in 18 months.

During his remarks, Karzai praised Gen. John McColl, the British commander of the International Security Assistance Forces, as the peacekeepers are formally known. He joked that McColl was so popular that "you could have been president of this country." With the takeover, the size of the Turkish contingent in Afghanistan will rise to 1,400 by the end of the month, making it the largest group in the international force.

Germany has the second largest at 1,200 troops. Turkey is expected to have the command for a six-month term that could be extended.

The Germans will have tactical control of daily patrols in Kabul, expected to number about 30 in each 24-hour period.

Turkey has had close ties with Afghanistan since King Amanullah invited in the Turks during the 1920s to help his army, and Washington is keen to promote majority-Muslim Turkey as a secular, democratic role model for Afghanistan.

The United States is also eager to show that its war against terrorism has Muslim allies and is not a struggle between the West and Islam. "The United States wanted a Muslim country and Turkey has close relations with Afghanistan," said Mehmet Sayfettinerol of the Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies in Ankara. "For the United States, Turkey was the logical choice."

Turkey, just like earlier last century, is eager to show that it is a regional power and able to throw its weight around in Central Asia, which it has long regarded as its backyard.

"A country cannot argue that it is a regional power ... unless it is willing to project some of that power," said Ilter Turan, a political scientist at Istanbul Bilgi University. "The encouragement received from the United States contributed to the decision" to head the force, he added.

In London, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told Parliament the British contribution to the peacekeeping force would be cut from 1,300 to around 400 troops while the entire 1,700-strong Royal Marines battle group based at Bagram air base north of the capital would be pulled out in stages throughout July.

Hoon said the reduction in troops did not reflect a lessening of Britain's commitment either to Afghanistan or to the campaign against international terrorism.

"In fact, it is proof of our willingness to keep up military action for as long as it takes. This is not a conventional campaign. It will vary in tempo and location," Hoon told lawmakers in the House of Commons.

A British army spokesman said the deployment had already stretched well beyond what was planned.

"They've been there six months and they're ready to go home. Conditions are very hard and the original deployment was to be for 90 days," British Maj. Angela Herbert said Thursday.

The new peacekeepers "will be the Turkish armed forces' kind hand in Afghanistan and when necessary, the (army's) strong fist against people who have bad intentions," the head of the Turkish army, Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu said at a send-off ceremony last month.

In Kabul on Thursday, Turkish spokesman Lt. Col. Nectet Yatgin said the situation in Afghanistan is "calm for the moment but we can't make any assessment for the future."

The peacekeepers' role will be crucial as Afghans try to rebuild their shattered nation after decades of war.

Some local warlords fear that a unified Afghanistan will reduce their power and are grumbling about the idea of a national army. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans remain armed.

At a news conference after Thursday's handover, Karzai said a key future role of the international force was to help train an Afghan national guard. All armed forces should be under the central control of the ministry's of defense, Karzai said.

"If there is any armed force that is separate, we will treat them as a renegade force," Karzai said. "We want warlordism to end in Afghanistan by any means."

Turkey only agreed to take over the mission after winning U.S. assurances of financial and military support, including the use of heavy cargo planes.

That recognition is another reason why Turkey agreed to take command of the force. The country is facing a deep, economic crisis and U.S. support has been crucial in efforts to secure billions of dollars in loans to help bail out the economy. Turkey is also pressing to join the European Union and is keen to demonstrate to European nations its importance in world politics.