Taliban should 'end occupation' of Afghanistan, asserts Turkish President Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the Taliban should “end the occupation” of Afghanistan as the insurgent group continues to make sweeping advances across the central Asian state. Speaking at a press conference on July 19, Erdogan also disclosed that his administration plans to hold discreet talks with the Taliban over the security of Kabul International Airport, which will serve as a link between the Ashraf Ghani administration and western countries in the aftermath of the pullout. Turkey has offered to guard the key airport, given “logistical” and “financial” conditions are met. 

"(The Taliban) need to end the occupation of their brothers' soil and show the world that peace is prevailing in Afghanistan right away," Erdogan told reporters before leaving for a trip to northern Cyprus.

Erdogan has previously asserted that Turkish troops would stay in the war-torn country even after the US and NATO complete their pullout. Last month, the right-winger met US President Joe Biden in Brussels on the sidelines of the G7 summit where he reassured him that Turkey would be the only “reliable” country left in Afghanistan following the withdrawal. However, Erdogan's stance has ired Taliban which ruled the country with an iron fist from 1996 to 2000. 

Taliban warns Turkey

Earlier this month, the Taliban warned Turkey against sending troops into Afghanistan to protect Kabul's main airport after Western troops' departure, calling the strategy "reprehensible" and threatening "consequences." Ankara, which has promised to administer and safeguard the capital's airport after NATO leaves, is in talks with partners, including the US, on financial, political, and military assistance.

As many as 25,000 troops, which had been stationed for almost two decades in Afghanistan, will be out of the country by September 11. Previously, the Taliban said that foreign forces should hold "no hope" of keeping a military presence in Afghanistan after the US and NATO withdraw troops, warning the security of embassies and airports would be the responsibility of Afghans. In the latest development, the warring sides have come into agreement over preventing civilian casualties and protecting civil infrastructure in Afghanistan. A discussion between both sides is underway in the Qatari capital of Doha. 

Image: AP