The Takeaway: Erdogan weighs risks of Afghan mission against benefits for US ties
Also: Gulf airline race takes off; Islamic State steps up Iraq attacks; Fortnite fatwa riles Egyptian gamers; is Israel’s army too small?; child beggars in Gaza’s cemeteries; Iraq unearths 4,000 year old city; and more! All in only about 1,500 words.
1. Hot take on Turkish role in Afghanistan: Kabul airport mission draws Taliban fire
Taliban officials on July 12 labeled Turkey’s plan to take over security at Kabul International Airport as “reprehensible” and warned Ankara of “consequences" if Turkish forces replace US soldiers, who are expected to withdraw by the end of August.
Hammering out the details: Turkey already has 600 troops deployed at the Kabul airport, because it is a member of the NATO mission that has been in Afghanistan for two decades. The plan so far is that Turkey will not send more troops; those there will simply stay on after US and other NATO forces leave. At least that’s the current plan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said July 8 that the United States and Turkey had agreed on the "scope" of Turkey’s mission to take over responsibility for the security of Kabul airport from the United States and NATO. But the details of the mission are still being "hammered out," according to the Pentagon.
The stakes for Turkey: The Taliban threats notwithstanding, Erdogan enjoys projecting Turkish power, and the costs may be low. The United States has made clear it is keeping an over-the-horizon force in the region, as well as perhaps more than 600 troops for embassy security. The mission puts Erdogan in the center of the action, in a region where Turkey already has interests and influence. But the real prize is getting in the good graces of US President Joe Biden, who has made withdrawal from Afghanistan a top priority. The other sticky issues in US-Turkey relations — differences on the Syrian Kurds, Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system — seem, at least for now, irreconcilable.
