Used To Refuse While Threatening, Now The Taliban Asks Turkey To Help Manage Kabul Airport, Erdogan: No Decision Yet

Illustration of Kabul airport, Afghanistan. (Twitter/@DeptofDefense)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had not yet made a decision on the Taliban's request for support to manage Kabul airport, after foreign troops left Afghanistan and uncertainty in the country.

Citing Reuters on Friday, August 27, officials said this week the Taliban had asked Turkey for technical assistance to run the airport, still demanding that Ankara's military be withdrawn by the August 31 deadline for foreign troop withdrawals.

President Erdogan said calm had to be restored in Kabul before making a decision on the airport. He said there was a risk of being 'sucked in' into something that would be difficult to explain given the uncertainty surrounding the possible mission.

"The Taliban have made a request regarding the operation of Kabul airport. They said, We will ensure the security and you can operate it. However, we haven't made a decision yet, because there is always the possibility of death and things like that there," Erdogan told a news conference. in Istanbul before leaving for a visit to Bosnia.

Erdogan's comments came as US troops accelerated the process of evacuating their military and Afghans out of Kabul airport, in line with the Taliban's August 31 deadline and two bomb attacks near the airport on Thursday.

Turkey has praised what it describes as moderate statements by the Taliban since they seized Kabul on August 15. President Erdogan on Friday reiterated that Ankara would continue to hold talks with Islamist groups and would evaluate relations once the new government is formed.

Reported earlier, the Taliban warned Turkey against possible plans to keep some troops in Afghanistan to run and guard Kabul's main airport, following the withdrawal of US-led foreign coalition forces.

The Taliban firmly called the Turkish plan a despicable act, as well as warned of the consequences that would result from it. Turkey's offer comes after Turkey held talks with the United States.

"The Emirate of Afghanistan condemns this despicable decision. If Turkish officials fail to reconsider their decision and continue the occupation of our country, we will take a stand against them," the Taliban said in a statement.

In that case, the statement continued, responsibility for the consequences will rest with those who interfere. This threat is part of the Taliban's struggle, as the international coalition troops began to lift their feet, by sieging and seizing cities in Afghanistan.