Ankara – APA. Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed that leader of Afghanistan’s Uzbek community, General Rashid Dostum is in Turkey, APA reports quoting Turkish media. Spokesman for Turkish Foreign Ministry Burak Ozugergin told journalists the reports that Dostum was in Turkey were true. Asked whether General had been illegally sent into exile by afghan government, the spokesman said no criminal case had been launched on Dostum in Afghanistan and he was not in house arrest in Turkey. Ozugergin said Dostum was together with his family living in Turkey.
“General Dostum is the leader of Turkic community in Afghanistan. It is normal for him to hold meetings in Turkey,” he said.
Enver Sedat, representative of the political party led by Rashid Dostum told Anadolu Agency that General had left for Ankara at the invitation of Turkish Foreign Ministry to celebrate Gurban holiday together with his family and would return after the holiday.