Taliban should end ‘occupation’ in Afghanistan: Erdogan

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the Taliban should “end the occupation of their brothers’ soil”, and played down a warning from the militant group of consequences if Turkish troops remain in Afghanistan to run Kabul airport.

“The Taliban need to end the occupation of their brothers’ soil and show the world that peace is prevailing in Afghanistan right away,” Erdogan told reporters before leaving for a trip to northern Cyprus. He said the Taliban’s approach was not the way that Muslims should deal with each other, reported British wire service.

Ankara, which has offered to run and guard Kabul airport in the capital after Nato withdrawal, has been in talks with the United States on financial, political and logistical support for the deployment. Separately, Erdogan said that he hoped to raise in talks with US President Joe Biden at this year’s UN General Assembly the issue of international recognition for Kosovo and would propose joint work on the issue to increase the number of countries which recognise it.