From the “Taliban” to Erdogan: only Afghans are responsible for guarding Kabul airport

The Taliban said on Tuesday that only Afghans are responsible for maintaining the capital’s airport and diplomatic posts.

This came in an interview with the Turkish Arabic TRT channel by Taliban spokesman Dhabih Allah Moudjahid.

The movement renewed its rejection of Turkey’s plans to operate the airport after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.

The spokesman added: “We ask Turkey to bring in engineers, doctors, scientists and traders (to Afghanistan), not by war and weapons.”

“The foreign military presence in Afghanistan has not been good, and it is an interference in Afghan affairs,” Moudjahid stressed, stressing that “the responsibility of maintaining the Kabul International Airport and diplomatic posts is the responsibility of the Afghans.”

Earlier Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the Taliban to hold talks with his country on Ankara’s operation of the airport in the capital Kabul.

About two weeks ago, the Taliban warned Turkey of possible plans to keep some troops in Afghanistan to manage and guard the main airport in Kabul after the withdrawal of foreign troops, calling this strategy “reprehensible” and warning of “consequences.”

This follows Turkey’s offer to guard and operate Kabul airport after the withdrawal of US and other NATO forces from Afghanistan.