Turkey hopes to boost Afghan, Pakistan security ties

[Coventina]

Source: Reuters

ANKARA, March 31 (Reuters) - NATO member Turkey hopes to boost cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the fight against al Qaeda and Taliban militants when the presidents of the two countries meet in Ankara on Wednesday, officials said.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of not doing enough to stop militants crossing the border to carry out deadly attacks, but ties between Kabul and Islamabad have started to improve after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari came to power last year.

Military and intelligence chiefs of Pakistan and Afghanistan will also attend the talks hosted by Turkish President Abdullah Gul with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Zardari, Turkish officials said.

(snip)

"The only way to improve the security situation in these countries is to get the military to cooperate and understand each other, and we believe we can help here," a Turkish diplomat, who declined to be named, told Reuters.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSLV949613