ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey officially agreed Monday to take charge of the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan for six months after Britain ends its turn.
The United States had strongly encouraged overwhelmingly Muslim but secular Turkey to head the force. Turkey is a member of NATO and its command of the mission will buttress the U.S. argument that the fight in Afghanistan is not between Islam and the West.
The announcement came after Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sent a letter to the Turkish government assuring Turkey of full U.S. support if it assumes command, private NTV television reported.
Following a Cabinet meeting, the government said Turkey will take charge of the force at a date still to be worked out with the United Nations and other countries involved in the mission.
Earlier this month, British officials said they did not think a handover would happen before June.
Britain has led the 4,500-member, 18-nation security force since the U.N. Security Council established it in late December, limiting its movements to Kabul and surrounding areas.
The British had wanted to hand over command in April but the terms of the Turkish command had to be settled first.
Afghan leaders have been pushing for a larger force that patrols other areas of the country that are under control of regional warlords. But Turkey has objected for fear the force would become entangled in local disputes.
The Turkish announcement said that the area of responsibility for the force will not change.
Turkey also expressed concern about the cost of increasing its presence in Afghanistan, insisting the United States provide cargo planes and Britain leave behind some of its facilities.
Turkey, a NATO member, was the first Muslim country to contribute troops to the mission.
Currently there are 267 Turkish soldiers in the force, a number expected to increase to about 1,000 after Turkey assumes command.
Turkey has participated in past NATO peacekeeping missions, including Kosovo and Bosnia.
A Turkish commander headed the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, but Turkey did not have a significant number of ground troops as part of that mission.
