Bosnian Soldiers to Turkey
On NATO Training ProgramSARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — About 200 Bosnian army soldiers flew Tuesday to Turkey, where they will be trained for three months on NATO-standard weapons the Muslim-led government expects to receive. “This is the beginning of our professional army,” said Gen. Enver Hadzihasanovic, chief of staff of the Bosnian army headquarters.
Last year’s Dayton peace agreement, which stopped 43 months of fighting in Bosnia, included provisions to train and equip the army of the Muslim-Croat federation. The purpose is to create a balance of forces with the Bosnian Serbs, who enjoyed overwhelming firepower during the war.
Sixty soldiers from Sarajevo were in high spirits as they waited for colleagues from Bihac and Tuzla. They posed for pictures, waving Bosnian fleur-de-lis flags. In a playful moment, they grabbed a U.S. Army photographer, wrapped him in a Bosnian flag and posed for a picture. “We are expecting to learn a lot, because Turkey is a friendly country,” said soldier Rusmir Sacirovic, 25. He said that he expects more conflict in Bosnia, so that the country will need a strong army.
Gen. Hadzihasanovic said the artillery and tank troops were the first soldiers to undergo training in Turkey under a bilateral agreement signed earlier this year. But other Bosnian army officials said 60 Bosnian army soldiers have been training on helicopters, tanks and artillery in Turkey for more than a month.
The “Equip and Train” program is only for the joint Muslim-Croat army, but Bosnian officials said they may start the project on their own if a stalled defense law isn’t approved. The federation was formed in March 1994, after one year of fierce Croat-Muslim battles for territories in central and southern Bosnia. Animosities and mistrust have persisted ever since as hard-liners on both sides continue following their nationalist interests.
Bosnian army sources said next in line for training in Turkey will be helicopter pilots to be trained on U.S. combat helicopters.
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