Erdoğan criticizes US as Taliban opens Kabul airport

Photo: AA

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The Taliban announced yesterday (September 26) that all international flights could resume at the Kabul airport.

It assured all airlines of full cooperation and said it expected all carriers and countries that had previously flown to Kabul to resume their flights.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said,

"As the problems at Kabul International Airport have been resolved and the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights."

Flights were suspended at Afghanistan's main international airport in the capital city last month after the Taliban took over power and US troops destroyed equipment and a radar system at the facility before leaving the country.

For months, Turkey had sought to run the airport following the withdrawal of the US-led foreign forces, but the Taliban did not accept the plan.

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In an interview aired yesterday on CBS, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey could possibly assume the task of securing the airport but on the condition that the US provides logistic support, including financial support and transfer of weapons and ammunition, there to Turkey.

"But such things unfolded there that on the contrary, all the weapons, ammunition and vehicles at Karzai Airport were transferred to the Taliban. At the moment, Taliban are operating there with the American weapons," he said.

"With the American presence dating back to two decades, the region was not any safer. On the contrary, every day the region lost more blood," Erdoğan said in the interview. The US needs to question its 20-year presence there and departure as well, he noted.

Relations with the Taliban

The president also said Turkey does not have any agreement with the Taliban yet and currently, the Taliban is mostly working with Qatar.

"We have always given the support which no one else has given to Afghanistan... we will do this in the next period [as well)]," Erdoğan said.

When asked if Turkey will help run the Karzai Airport, Erdoğan said it depends on agreements and contracts.

"If a positive step will be taken with mutual positive agreements... [but] right now the government in Afghanistan is not inclusive."

"It is not possible for us to take a step with a government that is not inclusive," he said, adding "but, if the government shall be more inclusive, we can be there, present, as Turkey."

The president also said his country would expect all Afghan women to be involved in every aspect of life, such as education, health, and judiciary, and Turkey can help Afghanistan in that matter. (TP/VK)