A significant number of Afghan citizens, who had to leave their homes and gather on the border with Tajikistan due to current clashes in Northern Afghanistan are in need of urgent assistance.

Turkey, untill today, while bringing the humanitarian problems in the country to the attention of the international community, has, at the same time provided humanitarian assistance to all segments of the Afghan society within her means.

In line with this approach, which is based on historical and deep-rooted ties between Turkish and Afghan peoples, and in the framework of a comprehensive humanitarian assistance programme initated in 1999, Turkey has made concrete contributions such as equipping of the Atatürk Children's Hospital in Kabul, the Afghan-Turkish Friendship Hospital in Şibirgan and the Badakshan-Faizabad Medical School, the improvement of 500 water wells to provide certain relief to those suffering from the heavy drought in the region, as well as food assistance. Assistance has also been provided in the field of education.

A delegation headed by Afghanistan Coordinator Ambassador Aydemir Erman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry will visit Tacikistan and northern Afghanistan on 10-17 October 2000 in order to assess the urgent humanitarian needs of those people who were displaced because of the intensification of the clashes since August this year.

During the visit, the delegation will also hold talks with the representatives of the Afghan groups with a view to contribute to the efforts in order to find a solution to the problems in Afghanistan through peaceful means.

Turkey maintains her conviction that problems in Afghanistan can only be solved through a broad based government with a representative capacity, based on the consensus of all sides.