Kabul, Nov 18 (IANS/EFE): NATO has appointed Turkey's Ambassador in Afghanistan, Ismail Aramaz, as its senior civilian representative (SCR) in the country.

According to a statement released by NATO Monday, Aramaz is not expected to take up the position until early next year. He was appointed by the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to succeed Dutchman Maurits Jochems.

Aramaz served as Turkey's deputy permanent representative to NATO from 2003 to 2007 and as political advisor to the commander of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from 2002 to 2003.

News of the appointment come a month and a half before the end of ISAF's mission, which includes troops from 50 nations under a UN mandate to fight Taliban militias dating from 2001.

NATO announced that its new mission would be starting in 2015, but with a smaller number of soldiers and Afghani Security Forces to fight insurgents.

This year is set to end with violence in Afghanistan at its highest level since 2001, especially from the sharp rise in numbers of civilian victims of random terror attacks over the last few years.