Turkey, Qatar agree with Taliban to operate Kabul airport
Turkey and Qatar have reached an agreement with the Taliban on the management of Kabul International Airport and 4 other airports in Afghanistan.
The United States wanted Turkish troops to remain in Afghanistan to secure the airport, which the Taliban rejected at the time, claiming that all foreign forces would withdraw.
Afghanistan is suffering from a difficult humanitarian crisis as international aid is cut off; the Taliban have repeatedly appealed to the international community for its resumption.
The Turkish Anadolu News Agency reported yesterday, citing its sources that the two parties held fruitful and effective negotiations, during which they agreed to form technical groups to work on the details of the operations in the coming days.
The sources told Anadolu: “Doha and Ankara agreed to jointly operate Kabul International Airport”, Russia Today reported.
The Turkish-Qatari delegation is visiting Kabul to continue joint work.
The Hamid Karzai International Airport in the Afghan capital is of particular importance; being the main air link of the landlocked nation of Afghanistan.
The Taliban overthrew the U.S.-backed government last August and declared an interim government seeking to restore stability.
But the Taliban government still faces international sanctions and deadly ISIS attacks, and climate change has increased the drought, making it more frequent in the country.
