After the U.S. and other NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan, Turkey offered to control and operate the Kabul Airport, but U.S. officials said that Ankara is setting conditions that must be resolved, and its leaders are preparing for the meeting next week.
At the NATO meeting in May, the United States and its partners agreed to withdraw their troops before September 11 to defeat the Taliban after the 20-year war.
The Turkish official said that Washington has agreed to join.
“After the U.S. decided to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Turkey made recommendations to ensure the safety of Kabul Airport. As part of this, negotiations with NATO and the U.S. will continue,” Turkish officials said.
Turkey’s role in ensuring airport security for international flights may help improve Ankara’s relationship with the West, which has been severely hampered by the purchase of Russian defense systems and disputes with European countries over drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean waters.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday that Ankara’s proposal depends on the support of these allies.”We intend to stay in Afghanistan depending on the situation. What are our conditions? Political, financial, and logistical support. If they are realized, we can stay at Hamid Karzai International Airport,” Akar calmly told his department representative Say.
They said anonymously that they welcomed Turkey’s proposal, but Ankara asked the United States too many “helpers” to carry out the task. Among other differences, officials also raised US concerns about Turkey’s reliability but said Washington would find a way.
NATO leaders will discuss Afghanistan at a summit where Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets Joe Biden for the first time next Monday. Since the President of the United States took office.
Considering that efforts to resolve the dispute over Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system led to Washington’s sanctions on Turkey’s military industry last year, the airport plan can provide a unique opportunity to build goodwill. U.S. support for Syrian Kurdish fighters, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the U.S. lawsuit against the National Bank of Turkey.
