Turkey thinks of leaving Afghanistan after all countries

ISLAMABAD 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey thought of leaving Afghanistan after all countries left.

Prime Minister Erdogan and his Pakistani counterpart Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani held a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Answering a question on withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan, Erdogan said that NATO planned to complete its mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but it was not definite. "It may happen after 2014. As Turkey, we think of leaving Afghanistan after all countries left," he said.
Erdogan said they would not leave their brothers alone there unless Afghanistan wanted Turkey to.
Afghanistan was expected to take steps for its own needs with 2 billion USD of assistance by the United States to Afghanistan after they withdrew from there, he said.
Turkey had some commitments for Afghanistan, he said and added that Turkey has been contributing to infrastructure and superstructure in Wardak region.
Erdogan said that he hoped that Afghan people would overcome their problems and prosperity and peace would be secured there.
Replying to a question on his meeting with Pakistani main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, Erdogan said that he wanted to understand Sharif's perspective. Erdogan said he wished to see cooperation between Sharif and Gilani for Pakistan's interest.
"We should put the people first. The state is secondary. The purpose of the state is only to serve the people, and not anything else," he said.

Turkish premier meets Pakistani main opposition leader

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan separately received Pakistani main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami President Syed Munawar Hassan in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Earlier Prime Minister Erdogan and his Pakistani counterpart Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani held a press conference.
Replying to a question on his meeting with Pakistani main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, Erdogan said that he wanted to understand Sharif's perspective. Erdogan said he wished to see cooperation between Sharif and Gilani for Pakistan's interest.

(Reporting by Hasan Oymez)