EU applauds Turkey's generous support to Afghanistan

The European Union special representative to Afghanistan has said the 27-member club applauds the generous support Turkey is lending to war-torn Afghanistan, which is currently trying to reintegrate insurgent Taliban elements into civilian establishments, stressing that NATO's only Muslim member country is a very reliable partner for both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vygaudas Usackas told Today's Zaman in an interview that Turkey has a great deal to offer from its own experiences of modernizing society into the "best democratic Islamic experience in the world." He credited Turkey for having a distinct role to play in Afghanistan and said it is in the best capacity to do so. The EU envoy's remarks came on a day when regional leaders on Wednesday, who gathered in Istanbul at a conference, pledged to find ways to improve security and economic development in Afghanistan as international combat forces prepare to leave by the end of 2014. He said as the international community moves forward with reconciliation and regional integration, "We all count on continued Turkish support and the facilitatory role," which he stressed is still needed in this part of the world. "I'm glad to know that the EU and Turkish cooperation in Kabul is probably the most exemplary one," Usackas added. Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday agreed to set up a "joint mechanism" to investigate the assassination of Rabbani, who was killed by a suicide bomber posing as a Taliban peace representative, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said following the summit hosted by Turkey in Istanbul following the assassination of Rabbani. Usackas said the commitment of the two countries to work together brokered by Turkey is much welcomed. He said there is a need for every kind of cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, starting from the most difficult issues, such as the start of an investigation into the assassination. "I hope and trust that both sides will work in good faith and will address all the difficulties," he said. Welcoming Turkey's role in contributing to the reconciliation process, he said he hopes Afghanistan's military, intelligence and civilian institutions will work in a transparent way so as to clarify all issues regarding the assassination of Rabbani and dealing with the Taliban. Usackas asserted that the EU is very excited by what he believes is a historical moment with the regional agenda being shaped in the Istanbul meeting on Afghanistan. "Thanks for the leadership of Afghan and Turkish friends." He also said there is great desire for dialogue on regional security among the countries in the region that are neighbors of Afghanistan, adding that when Afghanistan's partners look back at Istanbul in a few years, "What we will see is that Istanbul has provided a platform for the beginning of a new chapter, which I hope will be a chapter of a new paradigm of relations between the neighbors."