KABUL, 2 April, 2021 (TON): Oana Lungescu, NATO’s spokesperson announced that Turkish Brigadier General Selçuk Yurtsizoğlu has assumed command of the NATO-led Train, Advise, and Assistant Command-Capital in Kabul.

She tweeted, “With its 600-strong contingent, Turkey is a vital contributor to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.”

Turkey joined the military alliance of 29 North American and European countries in 1952.

Afghanistan also became the second country to recognize the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TRNC) during Turkey’s independence war.

In 2020, Turkey pledged to provide $75 million in aid to Afghanistan and it has also acted as a mediator between Afghanistan and Pakistan on terrorism-related issues.

However, the diplomatic ties between Turkey and Afghanistan can be traced back to Afghanistan’s year of independence, 1919.

As Turkey-Afghanistan Alliance Agreement on 1 March, 1921 was signed, Turkey became the first diplomatic representation to be inaugurated in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, thus strengthening relations.