Kabul – On 30 March 2021, Turkish Brigadier General Selçuk Yurtsizoğlu assumed command of the NATO-led Train, Advise, Assist Command-Capital, receiving his flag from Lieutenant General Nicola Zanelli, Deputy Commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission. Brigadier General Yurtsizoğlu replaced Brigadier General Ahmet Yaşar Dener.
NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo and Turkish Ambassador to Afghanistan Oğuzhan Ertuğrul also attended the ceremony.
“Your outstanding effort in training, advising and assisting the 111th Capital Division of the Afghan National Army, the Kabul City Police center, and other security agencies here in Kabul is paramount, not only for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, but also for the success of our Mission and our force protection,” Lieutenant General Zanelli said. “My thanks today mean the appreciation of the entire Resolute Support family for your commitment and effectiveness.”
Brigadier General Yurtsizoğlu said that the Train, Advise, Assist Command-Capital and the Turkish contingent “will continue to serve in close cooperation with Resolute Support and Afghan counterparts, as it has always been.”
Turkey, with its 600-strong contingent, is a vital contributor to the Resolute Support mission. Train, Advise, Assist Command-Capital is a Turkish-led multinational unit comprised of personnel from NATO Allies and partners, including Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia and the United States, advising the Afghan security and defense forces in the capital region.
Established in 2015, Resolute Support is a NATO-led, non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, which assumed nationwide responsibility for Afghanistan’s security following the conclusion of the previous NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission. Its purpose is to help the Afghan security forces and institutions develop the capacity to defend Afghanistan and protect its citizens in a sustainable manner.