Turkish Peacekeepers Arrive in Lebanon

NaharNet, Lebanon
Oct 19 2006

Turkish army engineers arrived by boat in Beirut on Friday to join
the enlarged U.N. peacekeeping operation policing a ceasefire between
Israel and Hizbullah, an AFP correspondent reported.

The 95 soldiers, the first batch of 261 Turkish military engineers,
arrived on two warships, with the remaining 165 members of the team
due to fly into the Lebanese capital.

Turkey is the first Muslim country to contribute troops to the
beefed-up U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that will eventually
number 15,000 men. Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Qatar have
also pledged soldiers.

The Turkish contingent, which includes 237 soldiers and 24 civilians,
will be stationed at a small village, lying seven-and-a-half kilometers
(nearly five miles) to the southeast of the port city of Tyre in
southern Lebanon.

They are expected to work mostly on the reconstruction of roads
and bridges.

Turkey is not expected to contribute any more ground troops for the
U.N. force.

A Turkish frigate is already serving in the German-led naval task
force patrolling the Lebanese coast to prevent arms being smuggled
to Hizbullah, and the navy has said it will also send two corvettes
to the war-torn country.

The Turkish government has said it will contribute a total of 681
troops to UNIFIL, including those on board the ships.

The Turkish parliament authorized the deployment of troops to Lebanon
last month despite objections and street protests.(AFP-AP photo shows
a Lebanese Armenian demonstrator holding a banner during a protest
against Turkey’s planned participation in a peacekeeping force in
Lebanon, in the Martyrs’ Square, in downtown Beirut)