Turkey says extends troops’ deployment in Afghanistan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's parliament on Tuesday, Dec. 25 ratified a motion to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan for another two years as part of the NATO’s support mission in the war-torn country, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

A legislation will put into effect on Jan. 6, 2019, allowing the Turkish government to send troops to Afghanistan to support the NATO-led mission Resolute Support.

As the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force ended its 17-year combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2018, "the mission has evolved into training and advising of the nascent Afghan security forces."

After 17 years, the International Security Assistance Force operations which included training and advising new Afghan security forces will come to an end in 2018.

Around 12,000 foreign troops from 28 NATO member states and 14 other allies have reached an agreement on supporting the NATO mission in Afghanistan.