Erdogan Reiterates Interest in Securing Kabul Airport, Faces Criticism
Voice of America
Despite earlier reports that Turkey had dropped plans to secure Kabul’s international airport, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey is ready to talk with the Taliban about what role, if any, Turkey would play in Afghanistan. Çıkmış hâlâ, "Türk askeri Afganistan'da kalmalı." diyorlar.Kardeşim; Afganistan kaldı mı da askerimiz kalsın?ABD'ye şirinlik peşinde abuk sabuk konuşmayı bırakın, askerimizi derhal o bataklıktan çekin! pic.twitter.com/jHqdwP39bN It is also evident why a young interpreter from the Kavakci family is allowed to take part in the meeting instead of an official interpreter. Erdogan behaved so in order to conceal his decision. The U.S. Embassy wishes to state that allegations regarding an “agreement” or “deal” between President Biden and President Erdoğan regarding Afghan refugees or migrants are completely without foundation.
“If there is a knock on our door, we will open it for dialogue,” Erdogan said Friday. Turkey has been involved in infrastructure efforts in Afghanistan, Erdogan added, and is still interested in providing such work. Turkey is also still interested in providing security at Kabul’s airport, Erdogan said Wednesday in a television interview, despite reports by Reuters Monday that plans to secure the airport had been dropped after the Taliban takeover.