The Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released late Tuesday that one of its PRT facilities was slightly damaged by rocket fire but no causalities were reported during the incident. The statement said the rocket was not targeted at the PRT building and that works are underway to rapidly repair the damage.
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 thus far. Turkey has also established two PRTs in Wardak and Jowzjan, primarily focused on reconstruction and the improvement of infrastructure and local administration in Afghanistan. Turkey’s civilian-led Wardak PRT has provided necessary training and helped rebuild Afghanistan since November, 2006, while Jowzjan PRT kicked off last month. Turkey has more than 1,700 non-combat troops under NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The statement also concluded that Turkey’s PRT activities directed for the needs of the Afghan people will continue without interruption irrespective of this single attack.
