Turkish PM: Afghanistan needs international community

ANTALYA

We need to consolidate our achievements and continue to help the Afghan authorities implement reforms, Turkey's prime minister has said.

Ahmet Davutoglu was speaking at a session of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting being held in Turkey's southern province of Antalya on Wednesday.

The session, attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, was to discuss the alliance’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

Davutoglu said: "In Afghanistan, we all know that there is still a long way to go in order to attain the capacity to cope with the evolving security challenges there."

"Achievements of the past 13 years in Afghanistan are still fragile. That is why we see the continuation of NATO’s and the wider international community’s presence in Afghanistan and, if necessary, beyond 2016."

Stoltenberg said: "Let us not be under any illusions. Afghanistan remains a dangerous place. We will continue to stand with Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan in the future."

Davutoglu said that Turkey will support Afghanistan, both bilaterally and through NATO, as long as it is necessary and so long as the Afghan people require.

"With this understanding we have assumed responsibility for Kabul International Airport in addition to and in line with our Resolute Support Mission framework responsibility in the Kabul area," said Davutoglu.

Resolute Support is a NATO-led, non-combat mission. It was launched on January 1, following the conclusion of the previous NATO-led ISAF mission.

Davutoglu added that Turkey will also contribute $60 million to the Afghan army over the 2015-2017 period.

Daesh a ‘direct threat’ to Turkey

"As the Daesh threat grows, we see increasing violence and terrorism at our doorstep. Being the only NATO country that shares a land border with Daesh-controlled areas, this terrorist organization is a direct threat to our national security," said Davutoglu.

The premier said to eliminate Daesh in Syria and Iraq, which should be seen as a single theatre of operation, the international community should better coordinate its response.

"We should also deal with the root causes of the Daesh terror. And that requires a comprehensive strategy including military, political, economic and humanitarian dimensions," said Davutoglu.

He also said: "As terror has no religion, we should strongly resist those who attempt to associate Islam with terrorism. Such correlation is not only utterly wrong but it also undermines our efforts toward the de-legitimization of Daesh."

Saying the conflict in Syria has entered its fifth year, Davutoglu said more than 220,000 people have lost their lives so far.

"Twelve million Syrians have become refugees and internally displaced persons. There are more than 1.7 million Syrians in Turkey.

“While hosting them, we have spent around $5.6 billion so far, while the total amount of aid from the whole international community has remained only at around $356 million," he said.

Ukraine crisis

Touching upon the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Davutoglu said: "The crisis in Ukraine showed us how fragile is the security and stability in Europe."

"While extending our hand to Ukraine, we should not forget particularly the sufferings of the Crimean people," Davutoglu said, reiterating that the illegal annexation of the peninsula could not be accepted.

"Maintaining our contacts with the Crimean Tatars and preventing their isolation is crucial in this regard," he said.

Turkey sent a delegation to Crimea on April 29 to evaluate the situation of Crimean Tatars since the 2014 annexation by Russia.

According to the Foreign Ministry, there are 280,000 Crimean Tatars in Crimea, making up about 13 percent of the total population.

Challenges have 'negative effects' on collective security

"Today, we are facing multiple challenges in and around our region. Intra-state conflicts, ethnic and sectarian divisions, domestic power struggles with cross-border effects are all evolving around NATO territories," said Davutoglu.

He added that these challenges left negative effects not only on collective security, but also on public order, economies, cultures and societies.

"Preparedness and responsiveness have become two indispensable elements when shaping our security and defense policies. It is with this understanding that Turkey has offered to assume the responsibility of framework nation in the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force for 2021," said Davutoglu.

"Turkey feels the direct impact of every development that emerges from areas of instability surrounding [our] southern and eastern flanks. We are poised to act with our allies in order to make a vital and constructive contribution in facing the full spectrum of challenges," he added.

Stoltenberg said: "We are going to discuss how NATO is addressing the challenges and the changing security environment."

He added: "It is about keeping NATO strong, investing in our collective defense, increasing the readiness and preparedness of our forces."

"I am very grateful that Turkey is hosting this foreign ministerial meeting … Turkey is a cornerstone in our alliance, situated as it is, close to both the south and east," he said.