Turkey's Erdogan pulls back from running Kabul airport amid fears of another attack

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to pull back from plans of Ankara operating the Kabul airport and Taliban providing security. He also added that Ankara would be in a challenging position if another attack, such as the one that took place on Thursday, 26 August 2021, near the Hamid Karzai International Airport. The latest development came after Turkey expressed its long-standing plan not only to secure but also to run the airport in the Afghan capital. 

But, as per reports, Erdogan appeared to drop the idea when it started the withdrawal of 500 non-combat troops on Wednesday from the war-torn country. Earlier on Friday, the Turkish President had also said that it held first talks with the Taliban in Kabul. He also said that Ankara was still assessing the offer by the extremist group to run the logistics at the Afghan capital’s airport.

"What does the Taliban say with regard to the airport issue? They say 'give us the security but you operate it'," Erdogan said in comments published by the official Anadolu news agency and other media outlets. "How come we hand you over the security?”

"Let's say you took over the security but how would we explain to the world if another bloodbath takes place there? It's not an easy job,” he added.

Bombings near Kabul airport

Thursday’s bombings near the international airport in Kabul have reportedly killed more than 160 civilians, 13 US troops and wounded several others, as stated by American and Afghan officials. August 26 also marked the deadliest day for the United States soldiers since August 2011. Officials have also noted on Friday that the actual toll of the incidents could be much higher. 

One of the officials, who spoke to the media on the condition of anonymity, said that other people might have taken bodies away from the scene. The responsibility for the attack has been claimed by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (IS-K).  In retaliation, on August 27, the US launched a drone strike on ISIS-K and claimed to have neutralised two ‘high profile’ targets from the terrorist group.

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said on August 28 that although ISIS-K members were killed and not one civilian was injured, the security situation in Afghanistan is still dangerous. Kirby said, “The threat stream is still active, still dynamic. We're still laser-focused on that and force protection, and we aren't thinking for a minute that what happened yesterday gets us in the clear.”

IMAGE: AP