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CNN Live At Daybreak

Turkey's Interests in Afghanistan

Aired November 02, 2001 - 06:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The nation of Turkey has decided to send troops to Afghanistan in support of the U.S. war on terrorism. Now this decision is not only significant militarily, but politically. Turkey is predominately Muslim.

CNN's Jim Bittermann has more now on Turkey's deployment plans from Ankara.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The troops, members of the Turkish military special forces, will be dispatched to Afghanistan in the next two weeks with at least part of their mission to train members of the Northern Alliance. And they have something to teach. For the past decade, the Turkish military men have fought a frequently violent war against terrorists of their own, British separatists in the southeastern part of Turkey. It is terrain very similar to Afghanistan, and the Turks developed specialized tactics that may prove very useful there.

A former general, who's now a member of Parliament, believes it's not the only role the Turkish military will eventually play.

DOGAN GURES, TURKISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Given the stabilization period, we will send in other troops to Afghanistan, too.

BITTERMANN: You would expect Turkey would be further involved?

GURES: This my guess.

BITTERMANN: The possibility that the 90 special forces troops are just the beginning upsets the government's opponents in the Islamic parties here who think there will be more requests from the U.S.

OYA AKGONENC, TURKISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: It's really open-ended, meaning government now will send any number of troops according to the demand and this makes us feel very uncomfortable.

BITTERMANN: In an interview with CNN, Turkey's foreign minister did not rule out sending in more troops, especially when the Taliban are gone.

ISMAIL CEM, TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER: As for a nation building, really, operation, it will depend on the environment, not only a military environment, but a political environment, and it will depend what Turkey sees as her role in designing the future -- the political future of Afghanistan.

BITTERMANN: The foreign minister believes his country's contribution should be more than just military, given its historical connection to the Central Asian region.

(on camera): Turkey's involvement with Afghanistan goes back more than 70 years to the Attiturk (ph) era when the founder of the republic here reached out with humanitarian aid to stabilize the regime in Kabul. Turkey's involvement now, one expert said, is especially useful politically because, as he put it, "it will bring a rational Muslim voice to the coalition."

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Ankara.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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