Turkey will not leave Afghanistan alone

ISTANBUL (AA) - November 2, 2011 -Davutoglu said that they announced an "Istanbul process" foreseeing concrete mechanisms including comprehensive confidence building measures in regard to regional security and cooperation for Afghanistan. Davutoglu and Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul held a press conference within the scope of the "Istanbul Conference for Afghanistan" in Istanbul. "Istanbul process is about regional security and cooperation for a stable Afghanistan. It is not only a meeting. 11 ministers and 9 heads of delegation and representatives from nearly 10 international organizations committed that we will reconstruct Afghanistan by working together with regional and international actors and neighbors. We declared a package of confidence building measures for the areas such as education, economy, security and fight against terrorism," he said. Countries would come together in Kabul in June 2012 with the process that was declared today, he said. Davutoglu said that Turkey would keep extending every kind of support to Afghanistan for its peace, stability and tranquility. He said restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan would be success of everyone. A failure in Afghanistan would cause a regional instability, said Davutoglu. He said that all international actors and organizations have been working for Afghanistan. Replying to a question, Davutoglu said that they would make every kind of contribution to what was needed for restoration of peace in Afghanistan. Turkey would be involved in every effort for peace, he added. Afghan Foreign Minister Rassoul said that the confidence building measures package, which was revealed in Istanbul process, would render the measures in the region more effective. The package will help us restoring security, stability and economic development in our region, said Rassoul Noting that they would exert efforts to build regional cooperation and security together with Turkey, Rassoul said that the package would make the confidence building measures more effective in the region. Recalling that a ministerial meeting would take place in Kabul in June, 2012, Rassoul said that they would see how confidence building measures had been implemented during that meeting. Rassoul said that they welcomed the outcomes of the Istanbul Conference, adding that Afghans, too, were involved in the preparation of the document which was adopted in the conference, and the document satisfied Afghans.