Erdoğan still wants Turkey to run Kabul airport

Photos: AA

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Turkey is still willing to run the airport in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said today (October 15).

Turkey previously run the airport, and similar steps in the period ahead can be taken by Turkey, Qatar and Afghanistan if agreements can be made, he told reporters after Friday prayers in İstanbul.

"We have made extensive efforts for the infrastructure and superstructure of Afghanistan and we have maintasaid Erdoğan.

About the Taliban's visit to Turkey yesterday, Erdogan said the delegation made some requests in terms of support, humanitarian aid and the functionality of the new process in Afghanistan.

A Taliban delegation met Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara to discuss cooperation on the future of Afghanistan.

CLICK - Turkey should 'bear consequences' if it controls Kabul airport, says Taliban 

"World leaders have not recognized the Taliban's current position yet. They are in pursuit of recognition by other countries," Erdoğan remarked.

"We will provide the Afghan people with every kind of support in relation to these requests so long as the administration in Afghanistan adopts a just stance in its international relations as well as in its relations with us for the protection of the Afghan people's rights.

"So long as this is the case, it would be out of the question for us to neglect them since we have historical brotherhood with the Afghan people."

After the US announced its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Turkey tried to convince both Washington and the Taliban to run the airport but the latter was not willing to agree on such a plan. 

The situation in Syria

Regarding Syria, Erdogan said, "We are fighting against terrorist organizations. The (Syrian) regime takes strength from them. The regime is also being fought against in a similar fashion.

"We had exercised patience up to a certain extent but, lastly, two police officers of ours martyred here. We also see civilians being martyred at times in these areas. Our fight will continue against all this in a very different manner from now on."

Two police officers from Turkey lost their lives on Sunday in Syria's Azaz city in an attack on an armored vehicle. (DŞ/VK)