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Turkey Agrees to Send Troops to Lebanon |
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Written by AP
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Tuesday, 05 September 2006 16:33 |
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Turkey agreed Tuesday to send troops to Lebanon to monitor a tense cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, becoming the first Muslim country with diplomatic ties with Israel to do so.
The decision was an important boost to efforts to deploy an expanded U.N. peacekeeping force amid hopes that strong Muslim participation would avoid any impression that the force is primarily a Christian entity.
The parliament voted 340-192 in favor of sending troops to Lebanon, with one lawmaker abstaining, after a lengthy debate on the floor. Earlier, thousands protested outside against deployment because of fears the Turkish troops could face hostile fire or clashes with fellow Muslims supporting the Islamic militant group Hezbollah.
The number of troops was not specified. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has said it likely wouldn't exceed 1,000.
The decision was timed to coincide with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's visit to Ankara for talks Wednesday with Turkish leaders.
A U.N. force is preparing to expand from 2,000 to 15,000 troops and deploy throughout the south with an equal number of Lebanese soldiers as Israeli forces withdraw as part of a shaky cease-fire that took effect on Aug. 14.
Turkey is NATO's only Muslim member and is one of a few Muslim nations to have close ties to Israel.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Israel was especially interested in having Turkey in the force because it is a largely Muslim country and a regional power.
Qatar pledged 200 to 300 troops on Monday, while Indonesia said Saturday it will send up to 1,000 troops to southern Lebanon by the month's end, after Israel dropped objections to its participation in the U.N. peacekeeping force. But neither of those countries has diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.
The vote also was a victory for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called Turkey's participation a moral duty that would contribute to regional stability and raise Turkey's profile on the international stage.
``We are the children of a nation that has always extended a helping hand to the needy. We could not remain indifferent to the sufferings of children and women in Lebanon,'' lawmaker Egemen Bagis, an Erdogan aide, said after the vote. ``God willing, we will help put out the fire there.''
Turkey, which has the second-largest army of any NATO member after the U.S., has led peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan and Somalia and has sent forces to Bosnia and Kosovo.
The Turkish contribution to the U.N. mission is expected to include a naval task force to patrol the eastern Mediterranean and prevent arms smuggling, as well as officers to train Lebanese army troops. According to the resolution, Turkey also would provide sea and air transport in support of other national contingents in the U.N. force.
Contributing to the force is also likely to boost Ankara's efforts to join the European Union. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso last week highlighted Turkey's ``strategic role'' in the U.N. force, praising the ``significant reforms'' Ankara has made on democracy and the economy.
``It is good for our interests to contribute to the peace and stability in the region,'' Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said.
Turks outraged by Israeli strikes on Lebanon, are still wary of the mission they see as a force deployed to protect Israel's interests and which may end up fighting fellow Muslims.
In a bid to calm fears, Erdogan has assured Turks that the government will focus on reconstruction and monitoring in Lebanon, and that Turkish troops would be withdrawn if asked to disarm Hezbollah. The resolution passed by the parliament also stated that Turkish soldiers will not be ``used in disarming local armed elements (Hezbollah) in the region.'' |