Afghanistan: Turkey announces the withdrawal of its soldiers deployed at Kabul airport

A Turkish soldier gives a water bottle to Afghan passengers waiting to board at Kabul airport on August 18.

AP

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Turkey has started to withdraw its troops in charge of security at Kabul airport, the Defense Ministry announced Wednesday evening, which also claims that Turkish military planes have allowed the evacuation of 1,129 civilians. days.

Ankara had hoped to keep its troops deployed at the airport despite the US withdrawal, but the capture of the Afghan capital by the Taliban upended its plans.

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With our correspondent in Ankara,

Anne Andlauer

This seemed to be obvious since the Taliban entered the Afghan capital on August 15, it is now official: Turkey is withdrawing its some 500 troops from Afghanistan, all deployed at Kabul international airport.

The Defense Ministry, which made the announcement, recalls in a statement that Ankara had offered the services of its army to

continue to ensure the protection of the airport

after the American departure, as it had been doing for six years in the part of a NATO mission.

Over the past week, Turkey has attempted to negotiate with the Taliban, playing on its image as a predominantly Muslim country and arguing that its soldiers, engaged in Afghanistan since 2002, had never taken part in fighting.

But the Taliban, while multiplying friendly statements towards Turkey, had demanded their departure by August 31, as for all foreign troops.

After the announcement of this withdrawal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he welcomed with " 

cautious optimism

 " the statements of Taliban leaders so far, saying he wanted to judge them " 

on their actions and not on their words

 ."

►Also read: Afghanistan: the Taliban ensure that Afghans will be able to leave the country after August 31

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