Ready To Operate 5 Airports In Afghanistan, Turkish Foreign Minister Reminds Taliban About Inclusiveness And Women's Rights

Turkey Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. (Wikimedia Commons/Meghdad Madadi/Tasnim News Agency)

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Mevlüt avuşoğlu said Turkey could jointly operate five airports in Afghanistan with Qatar, after talks in Doha and Kabul on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister Mevlüt avuşoğlu said a delegation of experts would first travel to Doha, then to Afghanistan to discuss the operation of Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport.

He noted that the Turkish and Qatari delegations would make a joint proposal to the Taliban-led interim government in Afghanistan which would be discussed on Wednesday. A Turkish and Qatari company signed a joint agreement to operate five airports in Afghanistan, not just Kabul airport.

"We will operate the airport together with Qatar if conditions are favorable," Minister Mevlüt avuşoğlu quoted Daily Sabah as saying December 20.

On Sunday, the foreign minister discussed the operation and maintenance of Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport and other airports, during a meeting with acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Minister Mevlüt avuşoğlu and Minister Muttaqi met on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of countries belonging to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad, Pakistan.

After the meeting, Mevlüt avuşoğlu said, "We once again remind them of the issue of inclusivity," indicating that he was urging the Taliban to be ethnically and politically inclusive.

Mevlüt avuşoğlu said he also discussed with Muttaqi about his planned visit to Afghanistan.

To note, after the Taliban took control of the country, Turkey offered technical and security assistance to operate Kabul airport. Keeping the airport open after foreign forces give up control is critical to keeping Afghanistan connected to the world and maintaining uninterrupted aid supplies to distribute.

Turkey has been working with Qatar to reopen the airport in the Afghan capital for international travel. However, repairs were needed before commercial flights could resume.

The Turkish government has taken a pragmatic approach to the recent events in Afghanistan. Underlining the new reality that has emerged in Afghanistan, Ankara said it would move forward accordingly while keeping communication with all relevant leaders open.