UN says Turkey offers Haiti police force

Ann-Marie Orler, new police advisor for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Missions, said Turkey had offered to send a 140 to 160-strong riot squad for the United Nations' Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

Orler said effort was underway with Turkish officials to draft a protocol, adding that a Turkish team last week visited the country for logistic groundwork.

The UN police advisor said the Turkish squad was planned to deploy in Haiti by the end of April.

Ata Yenigun, the peacekeeping department's civilian police management coordinator from Turkey, has confirmed the Turkish proposal for contribution to the UN mission.

Yenigun said France, Italy, Bangladesh and Rwanda were also to join Turkey to send riot police to Haiti.

Yenigun said the UN expected the Turkish police force to deploy in Port-au-Prince, the capital city, to participate in the security tasks.


/World Bulletin/