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Turkey looks to lead Afghan role

Dozens of countries have contributed troops to the peacekeeping operation

ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish, British and U.S. officials have met to discuss Turkey's possible leadership of international peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

Turkey, the only Muslim member of NATO, has expressed readiness to assume command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

But it also wants financial support for the operation and clarification of the scope and terms of the mission before taking over from Britain, possibly in April.

The discussions, held at the Turkish foreign ministry, began on Thursday between delegations led by the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan James Dobbins; the British envoy to Afghanistan, David Reddaway, and Ambassador Aydemir Erman for Turkey, who is the foreign ministry's special coordinator for Afghanistan.

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Ankara is seeking assurances that NATO members would maintain their presence in Afghanistan and that Turkey would receive adequate logistical support in operations.

Turkey also wants to know whether ISAF's area of responsibility would be expanded -- as requested by Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai -- or remain limited to operating in and around the capital Kabul.

The financial cost of the operation could also pose a difficulty for Turkey's crisis-hit economy.

Turkey reportedly needs $60 million (68 million euros) to raise the number of its soldiers in ISAF from some 260 to 1,000.

"If our requests are met in a satisfactory manner and if our questions are answered, I believe there will be no difficulty for us to take this mission," Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit told reporters two weeks ago.

Britain, which is to complete its mandate as ISAF commander on April 1, is eager to hand control to Turkey, but British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently said it would retain the post slightly longer if necessary.

"I hope very much that we will keep to the deadline that we've originally set ourselves but obviously if it were to slip a few days or a few weeks I don't think that would matter," Blair said in a television interview.