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Posted on 11/06/2001 6:45:57 PM PST by a_Turk

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Iran's foreign minister criticized Turkey on Tuesday for deciding to send special forces to Afghanistan to fight in the U.S.-led campaign.

Turkey, the only Muslim country to join the U.S.-led military campaign, announced last week that it would deploy a 90-member special forces unit in Afghanistan, in response to a U.S. request.

``The deployment of foreign troops in Afghanistan would aggravate the situation and make the situation even worse,'' Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told journalists after meeting his Turkish counterpart, Ismail Cem.

``Let's leave the solution to the Afghanistan problem to its own people,'' he said. ``In general, Afghans don't prefer foreign countries to interfere with their business.''

Turkey's contribution is seen key to helping the United States' case that its campaign against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and Osama bin Laden is not against Islam but terrorism.

Iran shares the common goal of bringing down the Taliban. But it has opposed the military campaign and snubbed the U.S.-led coalition against terrorism.

For Iran, the Turkish troops are also an unwelcome foray by a rival in an area where the two nations have competed.

Iran and Turkey -- both Muslim nations, but one with an Islamic government, the other resolutely secular and a NATO member -- have jockeyed for influence in Central Asia. In Afghanistan, Iran is close to Shiite Muslim minorities, while Turkey has ties with Turkic minorities, like ethnic Uzbeks.

Cem defended the Turkish deployment.

``Of course, Mr. Kharrazi may have different views on the subject,'' Cem said. ``Turkish troops will never be a force to attack Afghanistan. On the contrary, it is a force to contribute to help save the Afghan people from terrorism.''

Turkey has also expressed its desire to be part of a future Afghan peacekeeping force. Kharrazi said any such mission should be formed by the United Nations. He has also said any nations with a direct interest in Afghanistan should not be allowed to participate.

Both Iran and Turkey have said they want a broad-based government including all ethnic groups in Afghanistan if the Taliban are ousted.

Cem did not say when the Turkish contingent would enter Afghanistan. The special forces are expected work with U.S. troops in the north.

The Turks could take part in combat against the Taliban, train opposition fighters, support humanitarian operations and conduct reconnaissance missions.

Turkey's special forces are experienced in guerrilla warfare after fighting Kurdish rebels for more than 15 years in the mountainous southeast Turkey.

Several Middle Eastern governments have said they support the U.S.-led coalition against terrorism -- though they have stayed away from the military campaign. But Arab governments and publics have expressed concern over civilian casualties, which the Pentagon says it tries to avoid.

In the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain, site of the home base of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, seven Islamic and political groups issued a statement Tuesday calling for an end to the U.S. bombardment, calling it an ``unjust aggression'' against Afghan civilians.

The groups, which included Islamic charities that have gathered donations for Afghan refugees, said the campaign will not stop terrorism, but only fuel hatred.

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