§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart concerning the duration of the Turkish armed forces' lead of ISAF; and if he will make a statement. [71034]
§ Mr. HoonI have not had discussions on this subject with my Turkish counterpart, although I did discuss the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) with its Commander, Major General Zorlu of the Turkish Army, when I met him recently in Kabul. UN Security Council Resolution 1413 authorised ISAF to continue operations in Kabul for another six months from 20 June 2002 under Turkey's leadership. It is too early to say what might happen after that.