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| Web Desk - US President Joe Biden met with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit |
The first meeting between the two leaders since Biden became president was seen as important because of Turkey's possible role in Afghanistan.
According to President Erdoانan, Turkey's role in Afghanistan and the transfer of security at Kabul Airport to Turkey were discussed during the meeting but no details were released.
On his way to attend the NATO summit in Brussels on Sunday, President Erdoآنan indicated that he would also discuss Turkey's role in Afghanistan during his first two-day meeting with President Biden on the sidelines of the NATO summit. will do
President Erdoآنan said that the United States is preparing to leave Afghanistan soon and after that the only reliable country that can continue this process will obviously be Turkey.
According to President Biden's announcement, the United States will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in September, 20 years after the 9/11 attacks, and at the same time NATO forces will withdraw from Afghanistan.
It is proposed to maintain Turkish forces in Afghanistan and hand over the security of Kabul airport to the Turkish army.
US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby also confirmed in a statement that initial talks had been held between Turkey and the United States on the security of the capital, Hamid Karzai International Airport, followed by US and NATO forces. Evacuation was withdrawn. Afghanistan.
According to Reuters, Turkish authorities offered to take over security at Kabul Airport in May this year. Talks have also begun with NATO and the United States, officials said.
But the Taliban has rejected a proposal to hand over security at Kabul airport to Turkey. According to him, under the 2020 agreement, Turkey will also have to withdraw from Afghanistan with NATO forces.
What does Turkey want? There are 500 Turkish troops in Afghanistan under NATO and they are training Afghan forces.
On the other hand, Kabul Airport is a major hub for foreign diplomats and aid workers in Afghanistan. In addition, the protection of Kabul Airport is considered essential for the continuation of diplomatic activities in Afghanistan.
Clashes between the Afghan government and the Taliban have raised concerns about the security of the capital, and Australia closed its embassy in Kabul last month.
According to the pro-Turkish newspaper Sabah, if Turkey accepts responsibility for the security of Kabul International Airport in such circumstances, it can be expected that its relations with Western countries will increase in recent years. I will be small
Turkey's relations with Europe and the United States began to expand with the purchase of S400 defense systems from Russia and the exploration of oil reserves in the Western Mediterranean.
See ALSO: What happened to the Armenians in Turkey 106 years ago? The United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey's defense sector over its purchase of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia, and the United States has signed an agreement with Turkey. The contract for 100 F-35 stealth fighter jets was also canceled.
Turkey has since accused the United States of supporting the Kurdish militia YPG in Syria. Turkey has declared the militia a terrorist organization and has been operating in its border areas with Syria since 2016.
This year, when President Biden called the massacre and evacuation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire "genocide," there was a strong reaction from Turkish President Tayyip Erdoانan.
"Turkey is asking for a lot of help from the United States," the Turkish daily Sabah reported, adding that Turkey's offer would depend on cooperation with its allies.
"There will be some conditions for staying in Afghanistan," he said. These conditions include political and economic co-operation, as well as the supply of defense equipment. If these conditions are met, Turkish forces are ready to stop at Kabul airport.
According to a Reuters report, US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Turkey's offer to protect the airport was not in line with any agreement reached in Afghanistan under the withdrawal of foreign troops. And a symbol of the country's presence. The possibility has been ruled out.
Rahimullah Yousafzai, an Afghan affairs analyst, said Turkey is a member of NATO, according to a Voice of America report. And its troops are in Afghanistan. That is why, he said, the Taliban are demanding that Turkey withdraw its forces from Afghanistan. And it would be a very strange situation if the rest of the countries withdrew their forces from Afghanistan and the Turkish army remained in Afghanistan.
He added that if the Taliban were not taken into confidence in the matter, there was a danger of a clash with other forces. Because if the Taliban attack the airport, the Turkish army will be forced to take defensive action and the United States will also move forward with air support, after which all peace efforts will be thwarted and a new wave of war in Afghanistan will break out. Will start
According to Rahimullah Yousafzai, Turkey wants to take steps for peace in Afghanistan through the Istanbul Conference. However, with the military presence in Afghanistan, its neutrality will also be called into question.
The beginning of a new era? Turkey is sticking to its proposed role in Afghanistan on the sidelines of a major NATO summit in Brussels.
Before attending the conference, President Erdoآنan said that Turkish officials had informed the United States about Ankara's plans after the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. However, he did not comment on the details of the plans.
According to a Turkish official, Western powers have also agreed to hand over security at Kabul Airport to Turkey. But the situation was not clarified at the NATO summit in Brussels.
President Erdoآنan said on Sunday that he wanted to make a fresh start with the Biden administration.
"There are a lot of rumors here and there. We have to leave them behind and talk about what we can do," he said.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said he expected the United States to have an "if but not" attitude.
No major progress has been made since the two leaders met in Brussels. However, observers believe that President Erdoانan is willing to change his policy towards the United States.
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