Turkey says 'no need to rush' recognizing Taliban | Inquirer News

Turkey says ‘no need to rush’ recognizing Taliban

/ 05:35 PM September 07, 2021

FILE PHOTO: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the leader of the Taliban delegation, speaks during talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents in Doha, Qatar September 12, 2020. REUTERS/Ibraheem al Omari; Doha hosts intra-Afghan talks

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the leader of the Taliban delegation, speaks during talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents in Doha, Qatar September 12, 2020. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

ISTANBUL — Turkey said on Tuesday there was “no need to rush” in recognizing the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, adding that Ankara was still holding discussions about operating Kabul’s strategic airport.

In a wide-ranging television interview, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sounded a cautious note about Turkey’s future relations with the fundamentalist Islamist group.

Article continues after this advertisement

He said Afghanistan’s new government needed to be “inclusive”, adding that women and a range of ethnic groups should be given ministerial posts.

FEATURED STORIES

The Taliban on Monday claimed total control over Afghanistan, saying they had won the key battle for the Panjshir Valley, the last remaining holdout of resistance against their rule.

But Cavusoglu said the international community should take a wait-and-see approach before recognizing its rule, sounding a similar tone to one adopted by the European Union at a meeting last Friday.

Article continues after this advertisement

“There is no need to rush,” he said. “This is our advice to the entire world. We should act together with the international community.”

Article continues after this advertisement

Turkey has been holding talks with the Taliban in Kabul, where it still has a diplomatic presence, about the conditions under which it could help operate the Afghan capital’s airport.

Article continues after this advertisement

US officials say they no longer control the airspace in Afghanistan and that the main airport in Kabul, which the US military seized in August for evacuations, is in disrepair.

Cavusoglu said Turkey was working with Qatar and the US on the terms under which the airport could reopen to regular flights needed to deliver humanitarian aid, evacuate stranded civilians and re-establish diplomatic missions in Kabul.

Article continues after this advertisement

But he said security remained a key sticking point, stressing that commercial flights could never resume until airlines — and their insurers — felt that conditions were sufficiently safe.

“In my view, the Taliban or Afghan forces could ensure security outside the airport,” Cavusoglu said.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

“But inside, there could be a security company trusted by the international community or all other companies,” he said. “Even if airlines, including Turkish Airlines, are keen to fly there, insurance companies would not allow it.”

TAGS: Afghanistan, Conflict, Taliban, Turkey

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.