Turkey says its troops will continue to stay in Afghanistan in a NATO-led mission. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this, after holding talks with visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday.
Erdogan added his country will continue to provide development assistance to Afghanistan. He urged the international community to stand with Afghanistan during its transformation, and provide support in terms of development and security.
Meanwhile, Ghani called for an agreement to combat extremism, particularly in Islamic countries. Turkey has deployed troops to Afghanistan, following the al-Qaeda linked Istanbul bombings in 2003. The troops provide security in the Afghan capital and Wardak Province, but do not engaged in combat operations.