Turkey to withdraw troops from UN force in Lebanon
Published 10 August 2013 19:59
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=620055

ANKARA (AFP) -- Turkey plans to pull out troops from the UN peacekeeping
mission in Lebanon UNIFIL, Turkish and UN sources said Saturday, while
denying that the decision was linked to the kidnapping of two pilots.

"An approximately 250-person engineering construction force will not be
actively involved in UNIFIL in the coming period," a Turkish diplomatic
source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The decision comes as two Turkish Airlines pilots are being held by
kidnappers in Lebanon. They were seized early Friday on a road leading out
of Beirut airport, in an apparent bid to secure the release of Lebanese
pilgrims held in Syria.

The abduction drew condemnation from Turkey which urged its citizens to
leave Lebanon amid mounting fears that the country is being dragged further
into the Syrian conflict.

Both Turkish and UN sources said the troop withdrawal decision was made long
before the kidnapping.

"On the 6th of August, we have been informed by the department of
peacekeeping operations that the Turkish government decided to withdraw the
Turkish engineering construction company," UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea
Tenenti told AFP.

The Turkish source confirmed that the pull-out decision was made in
conjunction with UNIFIL's own needs.

"The mandate of our force was extended in early July. At that time, it was
also decided that there would be some changes in the configuration of our
force, but the decision on this was entirely made in line with UNIFIL's own
needs and it has nothing to do with the latest incident," the source said.

A previously unknown group calling itself Zuwwar Imam Ali al-Rida claimed
responsibility for the abduction, saying it was carried out to secure the
release of nine Lebanese kidnapped in Syria last year.

Turkey will however maintain its presence in UNIFIL with the maritime task
force.

"Our units at the maritime task force whose numbers periodically vary
between 100 and 300 will remain in charge," according to the Turkish
diplomatic source.

The UN spokesperson described the move as a regular process.

"It's up to countries to decide on contribution, but it's important to know
that this is a constant process in all peacekeeping missions, when you see
troops decreasing or other countries increasing," Tenenti said.

"What's important for the mission is that our operational capabilities are
not changed, and they are maintained on the ground, so that the
effectiveness of the mission will not change," he added.

"UNIFIL always has adequate preparations to ensure that the operations
continue without any kind of interruption."

UNIFIL was established in 1978 in south Lebanon following Israel's initial
invasion of the country that year.

Its mission was extended and enlarged after Israel's war on Lebanon in 2006,
with a current 13,000-strong force sourced from several countries.

Turkey is the first Muslim country to provide reinforcements for the
mission, in a bid to keep the peace along the hostile border, although no UN
mission sits on Israel's side of the border.

Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, with Israel having
launched a number of devastating invasions and wars on the country since
1978, and despite UNIFIL's presence.