Turkey, Taliban hold talks in Kabul as airport security in doubt

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara hasn't decided whether to provide the Taliban with technical assistance at Kabul's international airport.
In this handout provided by the US Air Force, an aircrew prepares to load evacuees aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
In this handout provided by the US Air Force, an aircrew prepares to load evacuees aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 21, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan. - Taylor Crul/U.S. Air Force via Getty Images)
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

Turkey hasn’t made a decision on whether to help the Taliban operate Kabul’s international airport, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday following talks in the Afghan capital between Ankara and the Islamist group.

“We have held our first talks with the Taliban, which lasted three and a half hours,” Erdogan told reporters. “If necessary, we will have the opportunity to hold such talks again.”

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