Turkish flag 'badge of honor' in Afghanistan

Razed nearly to the ground by successive wars, Afghanistan is a “witch’s cauldron” of potential threats – including suicide attacks, kidnapping, drug trafficking and ambushes – according to Brig. Gen. Levent Çolak, the top Turkish commander in the country.

The respected commander, who has been well received by the Afghans, has inherited a key role in a country that is struggling to be able to stand up and become self-sufficient without the help of NATO and coalition forces, a challenge he discussed during a recent visit by Turkish journalists to Afghanistan.

Though he was familiar with the region and undertook several tasks in Afghanistan before assuming his current mission, Çolak says he has been sleeping for only 2.5 hours a night since he took over the regional command in November.

“Our goal is simple: We want to increase the number of smiling faces in Afghanistan,” he says.

Challenging experience

Afghanistan’s bloody recent history began with the Soviet occupation from 1979 to 1989, which left more than a million people dead. A civil war continued between the Soviet-backed regime and the mujahideen groups that toppled it from power in 1992. Four years later, the Taliban seized control, introducing a hard-line version of Islam. Later, devastating earthquakes killed thousands of Afghans. Then came the war waged by the United States after the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. All this has left the country in dire need of the international community’s assistance.

For a journalist, a trip to Afghanistan is a major challenge, but a significant experience as well. Last week, I participated with around 40 correspondents on a well-organized trip by the Turkish General Staff. Our flight aboard a C-130 military transport plane took almost 6.5 hours due to Iran’s closure of its airspace to NATO; our plane thus had to fly over Turkmenistan instead.

The Kabul International Airport, where we all arrived, was reminiscent of a military base, with soldiers from each coalition force seen on patrol. We were divided into four-person groups and seated in separate armored jeeps that made up a 17-vehicle convoy guarded by the Afghan police. The need to move simultaneously enforced punctuality throughout the three-day trip. We stayed in military containers at the Turkey unit’s Camp Ayyıldız, at the Warehouse military barracks. Camp rules were stiff for security reasons: We were warned not to take our ID cards, to drive 10 kilometers per hour, to stay in between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and to refrain from taking photos without permission.

Increasing population, traffic jams

According to military officials, the population of Kabul has increased tremendously in recent years, reaching 4 million; the city also has around 1 million cars, creating frequent traffic jams. We were all warned in advance about the abrupt increases and decreases in speed at certain points due to security concerns.

Kabul, commanded by the Turkish military and divided into 17 police districts, is relatively safe, but Brig. Gen. Çolak says the threat level varies according to seasonal conditions. A Zeppelin hired from the United States for one year is now controlled by the Turks; it hovers 800 meters in the air, recording video that is watched 24 hours a day by Turkish and foreign military officials at the operations center.

A privileged place in Afghans’ hearts

The Turkish military has a privileged place in the hearts of Afghans; while other coalitions patrol under heightened security, Turkey’s soldiers do not hesitate to mingle with the locals.

“We are not afraid of close contact; we have no fear, while big states increase the number of security guards. The Turkish Armed Forces [or TSK] is tailor-made for peacekeeping operations all around the world,” Çolak said.

Even the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, reaffirmed to our group of Turkish journalists that Turkish forces had taught the American and other coalition troops a lot. To understand the Turkish mission in Afghanistan and how it is contributing to the country’s recovery, it is necessary to take a look what Turkey has done here since 2001.

Free treatment, free medicine

One of the signs of Turkish assistance is the Atatürk Hospital, where Afghan locals are treated. An official said many Afghans prefer to go to this hospital because the treatment is free of charge and the medicines distributed are original. Other countries dispatch medicine in containers that are too warm or too cold, harming the quality of the drugs.

In one of the Turkish classes provided by the military, I approach an 11-year-old Afghan boy and ask him in Turkish what his dream was. “I want to go to Turkey for military education and become a colonel,” Seyfullah tells me. When I ask why, he replies: “I see Turkish soldiers helping the poor here and feeding them. I want to do the same.”

‘Turks different from other coalition forces’

Kabul Gov. Zebiullah Müceddidi made the difference between Turks and other coalition forces clear during a dinner attended by top commanders, NATO soldiers and coalition forces. “Afghans respect and trust the Turkish Army. It would not be an exaggeration if I say they don't see the Turks as foreigners,” the governor said. “If you observe our people’s approach toward patrolling Turkish soldiers, you’ll see there is no fear or unease in their looks. But unfortunately, they don’t have the same feeling toward other friendly countries’ soldiers.”

“While patrolling foreign soldiers are on guard and prevent the locals from passing by their side, the Turkish Army is patrolling easily without disturbing anybody,” he added. “My people trust them.”

Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez, the deputy commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, echoed the governor’s comments during the same dinner. “NATO forces are learning from Turkish soldiers every day,” he said. “The relationship you have with the Afghans... you put people at the center. The Turkish military is making a huge difference.”

Turkey’s close historic and cultural ties to Afghanistan play an important role in this, but religion also counts. “We are considered infidels whatever we do,” a Canadian soldier told me. “I was helping an Afghan and he told me, ‘You are a good infidel.’ This doesn’t change the fact that I am still an infidel in his eyes. This is not the same for Turkish soldiers.”

It is clear from the way the Turkish military approaches people, the deep cultural ties and human-oriented approach and the way Turkish soldiers and Afghans have lunch at the same table, side by side, that the military has instilled trust and respect among Afghan locals. This has made the Turkish flag a “badge of honor” in Afghanistan.