Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said that his nation was working with Qatar and other countries to help fix damage at the Kabul facility and establish security protocols.
Understand the Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan
Card 1 of 6Who are the Taliban? The Taliban arose in 1994 amid the turmoil that came after the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. They used brutal public punishments, including floggings, amputations and mass executions, to enforce their rules. Here’s more on their origin story and their record as rulers.
Who are the Taliban leaders? These are the top leaders of the Taliban, men who have spent years on the run, in hiding, in jail and dodging American drones. Little is known about them or how they plan to govern, including whether they will be as tolerant as they claim to be. One spokesman told The Times that the group wanted to forget its past, but that there would be some restrictions.
How did the Taliban gain control? See how the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in a few months, and read about how their strategy enabled them to do so.
What happens to the women of Afghanistan? The last time the Taliban were in power, they barred women and girls from taking most jobs or going to school. Afghan women have made many gains since the Taliban were toppled, but now they fear that ground may be lost. Taliban officials are trying to reassure women that things will be different, but there are signs that, at least in some areas, they have begun to reimpose the old order.
What does their victory mean for terrorist groups? The United States invaded Afghanistan 20 years ago in response to terrorism, and many worry that Al Qaeda and other radical groups will again find safe haven there. On Aug. 26, deadly explosions outside Afghanistan’s main airport claimed by the Islamic State demonstrated that terrorists remain a threat.
How will this affect future U.S. policy in the region? Washington and the Taliban may spend years pulled between cooperation and conflict, Some of the key issues at hand include: how to cooperate against a mutual enemy, the Islamic State branch in the region, known as ISIS-K, and whether the U.S. should release $9.4 billion in Afghan government currency reserves that are frozen in the country.
“The Kabul airport can be opened to international flights again, the damage can be repaired, the runway can be renewed, the terminal, also renewed,” Mr. Çavuşoğlu said, noting that 19 Turks were working to repair damage.
While the security outside the airport can be maintained by the Taliban, he said, the airport’s security “should be maintained by a security company that is trusted” by the international community.
“There are companies that do this business, if military presence is unwanted,” he said. Without such security, he said, it was unlikely that commercial flights would be able to resume.
“Even if planes want to fly, the insurance companies will not allow,” he said in an interview with a private Turkish broadcaster.
At the news conference in Doha, Qatar’s foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said his government had sent a technical team to evaluate the Kabul airport and expressed optimism that “we are about to get everything operational very soon,” including for commercial flights.