NATO talks focus on Afghanistan

Defense ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non- NATO partners have gathered in Turkey for a meeting on Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will chair the two-day closed door meeting in Istanbul. The summit will discuss the training of the Afghan army and police forces.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants NATO allies to send up to 4,000 additional trainers, to prepare for Afghanistan's take over of security next year.

A shortage of trainers could cast doubt on US President Barack Obama's timetable for handing over responsibility to Afghan forces and withdrawing US troops.

Discussions will also include operations in Kosovo, where a reduced NATO force now numbers around 10,000.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Istanbul February 4, 2010. REUTERS/NATO Photos/Handout