Turkey Extends UNIFIL Mission in Lebanon

Turkey's parliament has approved a government request to extend for one year the Turkish military mission with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

It was the fifth time that parliament extended the mission since it was first approved in September 2006.

Turkey was the first Muslim country to contribute troops to UNIFIL after the force, first created in 1978, was enhanced in 2006 following Israel's devastating 34-day war with Hizbullah during which some 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, died.

Turkey has contributed about 1,000 military personnel to the force as well as several vessels to its naval component, which aims to prevent Hizbullah from receiving weapons by sea.