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KABUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that an agreement had been reached with the United States on how to secure Kabul airport under Turkish administration.
Erdogan said the US and Turkish defense ministers discussed the issue on Friday. “During the discussions with the US and NATO, we decided on the scope of this mission, what we should accept and what we should not accept,” he said.
The Turkish mission is scheduled to begin after the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan so that, according to Turkish officials, the country will not be isolated.
This is as the United States and Afghanistan have welcomed Turkey’s offer to provide security of Kabul international support.
Discussions between NATO allies over the details of the mission come as a US delegation visited Turkey last month, and the defense ministers of both countries spoke on the phone several times.
Kabul Airport is considered the main outlet of departure for Western diplomats and aid workers.
This is as the US is applying haste to its withdrawal. US President Joe Biden said on Friday that the US military mission in Afghanistan will be completed on August 31.
Earlier, the Pentagon said a number of US troops would remain in Kabul to secure the airport.
More than 500 Turkish troops are stationed in Afghanistan and play a key role in Kabul airport security. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has previously said he does not want to deploy more Turkish troops in Afghanistan.
