BBC News Online: World: Europe

Turkey to join war on terror

Turkish troops could train opposition forces

"Our government has decided to deploy a special forces unit of around 90 members for the mission," a government statement said.

The Turkish troops will carry out a range of duties including supporting the troops of the anti-Taleban Northern Alliance and securing humanitarian aid.

Last month, Turkey's parliament gave blanket approval for troop deployment abroad.

Fighting experience

The government statement said the aim of the mission was "surveillance, struggle against terrorists, guiding the Northern Alliance, supporting humanitarian missions, protecting innocent people and helping the evacuation of civilians when necessary".

Turkey has forged strong links with the Northern Alliance.

Its special forces also have long experience in fighting Kurdish rebels in south-eastern Turkey - a mountainous region whose terrain is similar to Afghanistan.

Turkey has already opened its airspace to US aircraft, and transport planes have been using the base at Incirlik for refuelling.

There are also reports that it has been supplying intelligence.

The active participation of Nato's only majority Muslim country could help the US rebut allegations that it is engaged in a war against Islam.

Shortly after the 11 September attacks, Nato invoked article five of its constitution which states that an attack on any one member state is an attack on them all.

So far, though, the United States has asked Nato countries for help on an individual basis and not requested aid from the alliance as a bloc.