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Turkey steps up assistance to Afghanistan with new PRT
The official opening of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the northern province of Jowzjan came a day after a major international conference in Kabul endorsed plans for Afghan forces to be in charge of security by 2014. “This is a very good beginning between friends. Turkish-Afghan friendship dates back in history, and it will continue forever,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said during the opening ceremony in Sheberghan, the capital of Jowzjan. “Serving Afghanistan is no different than serving Turkey,” Davutoğlu remarked, adding that his own family roots stemmed from Greater Khorasan, a historic region that covered parts of modern day Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Turkey, a key contributor to international efforts to help reconstruction in Afghanistan following a nine-year war with the Taliban and other insurgent groups, has opened 34 schools and a hospital in northern Afghanistan, Davutoğlu also said, pledging that Turkish efforts would continue.
The Turkish PRT in Jowzjan will assist Afghan authorities’ efforts in the development and training of Afghan personnel, including security personnel, to improve their capacity to deal with day-to-day challenges. The Jowzjan PRT is built on the same model used in Turkey’s existing PRT in the province of Wardak. That PRT, led by a civilian and protected by military forces, has been functioning since 2006. More than 30 PRTs function across Afghanistan.
Officials say the Jowzjan PRT will focus on providing humanitarian assistance and helping Afghan authorities with capacity-building, development and reconstruction. The establishment of a second Turkish PRT was requested and approved by the Afghan authorities, said Turkish officials.
The Turkish PRT in Jowzjan will be led by a civilian coordinator appointed by the Foreign Ministry. Its civilian elements include representatives from the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA), the Interior Ministry, Education Ministry, Health Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry.
International assistance is vital as Afghanistan struggles to put an end to escalating violence and finally take charge of security in all provinces by end of 2014, as agreed during Tuesday’s international conference. Speaking at the conference, Davutoğlu said Turkey supported the transfer of power to the Afghan government and the plan to reintegrate insurgents into Afghan society. “An Afghan-led and steered peace and reconciliation process should culminate in enhanced national unity and solidarity throughout the country,” Davutoğlu told the conference.
The conference also agreed that the Afghan government would be given greater responsibility for its own affairs in exchange for guarantees that it will improve standards and accountability. According to the conference’s final statement, participants gave strong support for channeling at least 50 percent of development aid through the government within two years, up from the current 20 percent, in exchange for more accountability and a crackdown on graft.
While the international community recognizes that Afghans must increasingly take charge, corruption remains a major concern. Graft feeds frustration with the government thereby boosting support for the insurgency.
Turkey also announced that it would contribute $2 million to the United Nations to support preparations for Afghanistan’s upcoming parliamentary elections, planned for September, which, Davutoğlu said, would help consolidate nationwide unity and solidarity by enabling the representation of all segments of society. “No effort must be spared with a view to holding the elections in a fair and transparent manner and on Sept. 18 as planned,” he said.
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