With the withdrawal deadline of US troops stationed in Afghanistan approaching 31st, the Taliban told NHK that it had already taken control of part of the airport in the capital Kabul.
At the airport in Kabul, the U.S. military is accelerating the move toward withdrawal before the deadline of 31 days, but Tullivan is a member of NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is in charge of air traffic control and security maintenance at the airport. At the same time, we are calling for the withdrawal of national personnel.
"The United States has retired from some areas of the airport and is under the control of the Taliban," Taliban spokeswoman Mujahid told NHK on the 29th, putting part of the airport under control. I made it clear.
"I'm optimistic about the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from the airport. In the near future, the entire airport will be under the jurisdiction of the Taliban," he said.
However, it seems that the Taliban side lacks human resources who can manage and operate the airport, and the U.S. government has questioned whether the aircraft can be operated normally from the 1st of next month. Is also out.
Under these circumstances, the Taliban is seeking cooperation in the private sector from Turkey, which has been involved in the operation of the military part of the airport.
Whether or not the airport can be used after next month will affect the transportation of relief supplies by UN agencies, so it is drawing attention as to whether discussions will be finalized as the withdrawal deadline approaches.
Turkish President Erdogan Considering support for airport management
Turkey has been stationed in Afghanistan since 2002 as a member of the NATO-North Atlantic Treaty Organization and has been part of the operation of the military part of Kabul's airport for six years.
And even before the collapse of Afghanistan's administration, Turkey was eager to take charge of airport security alone from next month.
However, after that, the Taliban, which seized power, requested the withdrawal of the troops of NATO countries including Turkey, so on the 27th of this month, the troops were withdrawn except for some technical personnel.
Meanwhile, President Erdogan has revealed that the Taliban has requested cooperation in the operation of the airport, and is considering whether it can be supported without the involvement of the military.
Turkey is the only NATO member country with a majority of Islam, and there is a desire to build a relationship with the Taliban by taking advantage of its position that sets it apart from Western countries.