Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey to hold joint military drills

amoy

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Why was China left out of the party?:happy_3:

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey to hold joint military drills
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101224/wl_afp/turkeyafghanistanpakistandiplomacy

Video:Turkey hosts Karzai and Zardari talks Reuters – Fri Dec 24, 3:08 pm ET
ISTANBUL (AFP) – Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey agreed Friday to hold joint military drills next year as part of Ankara's bridge-building efforts between troubled neighbours Kabul and Islamabad.

"As a result of the work that our armed forces have done so far, a joint exercise will be held in April 2011," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in televised remarks.

Gul was speaking after trilateral talks with his counterparts Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan in Istanbul.

It was the fifth such meeting since 2007 when Turkey, NATO's sole Muslim-majority member, launched the initiative to push Afghanistan and Pakistan to enhance cooperation against Islamist insurgents and improve ties poisoned by the insecurity plaguing their rugged border.

Gul said the three countries' interior and foreign ministers as well as intelligence and military officials held separate cooperation talks during and ahead of the gathering in Istanbul.

"We are happy to see that important progress has been made," he said.

Gul did not elaborate on the planned drills, but a joint statement issued after the talks said a "trilateral military live exercise on urban warfare" had been scheduled for March 19-27 in Istanbul.

"We are looking forward to a successful exercise, which will constitute a stepping stone for closer cooperation," the statement said.

"Contacts between high-level military officials as well as intelligence experts contribute to our efforts to fight terrorism and extremism. This cooperation shall be continued and rendered even more result-oriented," it added.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been plagued by mutual suspicion, although bilateral ties have recently improved.

Taliban insurgents fighting against the Western-backed government in Kabul have rear bases in Pakistan, where Afghan and US officials say their leaders enjoy at least some measure of protection from Pakistan.

The powerful Pakistani military is often accused of continuing to foster the Afghan Taliban it spawned during the 1980s resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Islamabad flatly denies any collusion and says more than 2,420 of its soldiers have been killed fighting Islamist militants since 2002.

The three presidents agreed to set up "a trilateral direct video-telephone conference line in support of increased dialogue," the statement said.

Turkey also pledged to organise joint programmes for counter-narcotics officers from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Responding to a reporter's question, Karzai spoke of suggestions that the Taliban open a representation office in Turkey or another impartial country "to facilitate reconciliation" in the war-torn country, Anatolia news agency reported.

Kabul, he said, would be happy if Turkey could provide such a venue.

Gul said he was not aware of such suggestions but stressed that Turkey "will do anything that would contribute to stability and security in Afghanistan," according to Anatolia.

On Thursday, Karzai and Zerdari had attended a regional economic cooperation summit in Istanbul, along with counterparts from Azerbaijan, Iran, and Central Asian states.

++
Turkey hosts Pakistan-Afghan talks
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/12/201012241303321628.html

Three countries to hold joint military exercises in April, agree to cooperate on anti-narcotics operations.

Last Modified: 24 Dec 2010 20:01 GMT

The trilateral summit aims to ease relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan [Reuters]

Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan will hold joint military exercises as part of efforts to build trust between Kabul and Islamabad, the Turkish President said on Friday.

The manoeuvres will be staged in April 2011, said President Abdullah Gul. He gave no further details, but a Turkish government official involved in the talks said the exercises would be staged in Tuzla, 50km south of Istanbul.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Responding to a question, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he had discussed with "dignitaries close to the Taliban movement'' the possibility of the group opening a facility in Turkey or another country "in order to facilitate reconciliation'' between Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Karzai said Afghanistan would be "pleased" for such a "facility to take place in Turkey".

Gul did not address the issue directly, but said that his country was ready to contribute to initiatives that would help stability and security in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Gul and Karzai's comments came at the end of the fifth round of Turkish-sponsored talks between the Pakistani and Afghan Presidents, aimed at reducing tensions over militant attacks along the countries' border.

The presidents of the three countries oversaw the signing of several agreements at the summit, including one on anti-narcotics cooperation between police forces.

The three also agreed to hold a regular video conference.

The agenda for the talks had included analysis of recent regional developments and a review of previous meetings between the countries' intelligence chiefs.

Talks follow ECO summit

Earlier, Gul said the summit between the three countries was being held to "enhance peace and development" between Kabul and Islamabad.

Turkish president Gul and prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier met separately with Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari and his Afghan counterpart, Karzai.

The trilateral talks follow a summit meeting of the 10-member Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) which concluded in Istanbul on Thursday.

The organisation, which includes Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as Iran and other Central Asian states, aims to build closer trade ties between Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, it seeks to promote economic, technical and cultural co-operation between the member states.
 

bharadwaj

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^^^^Good.I hope ANA can teach these guys as to how an unterrorised army functions!!!!!!!!!!LOL
 

bhogta

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Look like Turkey want to be new leader of Muslim world again. Lets see how Arab people take this thing.
 

Oracle

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PA should commit all its resources in crushing Taliban, Al-Qaida and home grown terrorist groups. This is not the time for some merry go round pom pom show. I hope PA don't kill innocent ANA soldiers in disguise of military drills. History says PA is not interested in a stable Afghanistan.
 

bharadwaj

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PA should commit all its resources in crushing Taliban, Al-Qaida and home grown terrorist groups. This is not the time for some merry go round pom pom show. I hope PA don't kill innocent ANA soldiers in disguise of military drills. History says PA is not interested in a stable Afghanistan.
The PA are very good organizers of terrorist acts.Hence they would be taken aback seeing the professionalism of the Indian army trained ANA.
 

Tshering22

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Look like Turkey want to be new leader of Muslim world again. Lets see how Arab people take this thing.
This is the exact statement that crossed my mind after following what Turkey has been doing in the last 2 years.

- Disillusionment with the West
- holding joint air games with China
- refusing to impose restrictions on Iran (Turkey has never refused US before so openly)
- aggressively developing ties with Azerbaijan which were not so strategic earlier
- going on an all out diplomatic offensive against Germany
- blocking us out on an Afghan meet
- expanding military cooperation with both Iran and Syria
- too many frequent deals or meetings with Pakistani leaders
- going on a collision course on purpose with Israel
- silencing non-religious opposition within Turkey
- firing generals in Turkish Army who are a threat to the ruling Islamist government of Erdogan
- claiming northern Cyprus more aggressively as a Turkish republic

I mean these actions speak for themselves even to the most casual strategy follower. There are already lot of tensions going on within Turkey between her military and the ruling AKP government since the Turkish military considers itself a legacy of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk himself while AKP is interested in taking Turkey back to Ottoman days. In fact, the claiming of northern Cyprus as Turkish republic coming just fresh out of flame-throwing at Israel cause Israel to hold a join navy drill between Cyprus, Israel and Turkey's old nemesis; Greece.

Also, Turkey has run afoul with governments of Germany and Austria on the cases of immigrant Turkish population being increasingly radical in these countries and not integrating with the law. While the opposition CHP is embarrassed of the actions of AKP, according to a Turkish acquaintance of mine there is a high level of tension all over NATO between other members and Turkish government's more wannabe-Ottoman stance these days,

Wonder what was Erdogan thinking keeping us out of Afghan meet when pandering to whims of Pakistanis. No matter what, no one now can keep us out of Afghanistan. To be honest, I myself disapprove of GOI's tendency to get into more conflicts than having the capability to solving the existing ones with an iron fist. Afghanistan was a waste of time and money and though we have the goodwill of Afghans today, it is of little use in making their political elite consider us in any significant manner since NATO is the boss there, Pakistan the threat and hence our $2.2 billion are at stake with NO POSITIVE outcome strategically. Had that $2.2 billion been spent in quelling terrorism in my region with brute and inhuman force showing the middle finger to bigoted human rights, India would be 95% terror free.

As for Pakistan's meet, it is simply using the "religion" card again to gain favours from Turkey and try to keep us out. Now since the Western world has seen through their body of lies and has not place themselves to hide from our irritation, Pakistanis are using a last ditch attempt to play the religion card again and try to pull "brother" countries and gain some viable support. Turkey is an influential country and hence the recent clinging.

While ANA might learn a thing or two definitely from the Turkish forces, I really wonder what it would learn from Pakistani Army apart from religious hatred and taunts of being "uncivilized".
 

Tshering22

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PA should commit all its resources in crushing Taliban, Al-Qaida and home grown terrorist groups. This is not the time for some merry go round pom pom show. I hope PA don't kill innocent ANA soldiers in disguise of military drills. History says PA is not interested in a stable Afghanistan.
PA and ISI ARE creating this menace dude. You really think they would work towards eliminating their last trump card? Apart from nuclear blackmail, asymmetric warfare through jihad is the only way Pakistan can keep our growth slightly bogged down and at the same time be a harassment to the ANA which is independent of the ISI-funded Taliban. Here's the truth: PA does NOT consider Afghan Taliban as terrorists. Get me? They think of TTP (Pakistani taliban) NOT as an offshoot but an agency that is sponsored by us to ruin them. This is what everyone thinks there. To their military at least, US and NATO are still "invaders" but cannot say this openly. Think about it; why is WOT going on still? Because PA presses civilian puppet government to use the "national sovereignty" card and make it global so that US troops don't get a chance to enter Pakistan's border where all these loonies are having a safe haven.

They perfectly know that if NATO forces barge into Pakistan, they will ultimately reach those havens and annihilate them and that would mean an end to the unofficial warriors of Pakistan. Meaning that without Taliban and all linked terrorist organizations that might get eliminated in the process, Pakistani Army will have to start worrying about countering us all over again just as through the Cold war.

Doesn't this seem obvious to you? I mean how can a country continue to be impervious to global criticism and warnings if it is truly innocent.
 

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