Taliban Warns Turkey For Keeping Troops In Afghanistan

The Taliban has warned Turkey against expanding its presence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops, saying the decision was “reprehensible”.

The Taliban said in a statement that the decision “contains the wrong advice and violates our sovereignty, territorial integrity as well as national interests,” according to the international news agency AFP.

The Taliban’s statement came after Turkey pledged to provide security at Kabul airport when foreign troops leave Afghanistan next month.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement on July 9 that Turkey and the United States had agreed on how to secure Kabul Airport under Turkish forces after Washington’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

It should be noted that after the withdrawal of troops next month, Turkey promised to provide security for the airport and the move was hailed as an example of better relations between Ankara and Washington.

The Turkish president said the issue was discussed between the Turkish and US defence ministers, adding that “during the talks with the United States and NATO, we decided the scope of the mission, what we accept and what we accept.”

It may be recalled that before Turkey’s move, US President Joe Biden had held talks with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels in June.

However, the Taliban opposed Ankara’s proposal, saying that Turkey should also withdraw its troops under the 2020 withdrawal agreement.

After the leaders’ talks, Washington praised Turkey’s commitment to play a significant role in securing the Hamid Karzai International Airport.

During a visit by a US delegation to Turkey last month, the two NATO allies continued to discuss details of Turkey’s future mission, while the Turkish defence minister and the head of the Pentagon also had several phone calls.

Remember that Kabul Airport is the main way out for Western diplomats and aid workers.

There are fears that the airport could fall into the hands of the Taliban after the US withdrawal, so NATO is struggling to find a solution.

It should be noted that Turkey has played an important role in Afghanistan since 2001, deploying hundreds of Turkish troops there.

US President Joe Biden had announced that Washington’s withdrawal from Afghanistan would be completed by August 31.

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