Taliban should end occupation of their brothers’ soil: Erdogan
Turkish president says Taliban’s approach is not the way that Muslims should deal with each other; foreign missions in Afghanistan urge Taliban to halt military offensive and announce truce
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 group of consequences if Turkish troops remain in Afghanistan to run Kabul airport.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist from 1996 to 2001 and have fought for 20 years to topple the Western-backed government in Kabul and reimpose Islamic rule. They are making a fresh push now to gain territory as foreign forces pull out.
“(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.
Ankara, which has offered to run and guard Kabul airport in the capital ater Nato withdraws, has been in talks with the United States on financial, political and logistical support for the deployment.
Last week the Taliban warned Turkey against those plans to keep some troops in Afghanistan to run the airport, calling the strategy reprehensible and warning of consequences.
“In the statement made by the Taliban there is no phrase ‘We don’t want Turkey,’” Erdogan said when asked about the comments.
Meanwhile, 15 diplomatic missions and the Nato representative in Afghanistan urged the Taliban to halt their military offensives just hours ater the rival Afghan sides failed to agree on a ceasefire at a peace meeting in Doha.
A delegation of Afghan leaders met the Taliban’s political leadership in the Qatari capital over the weekend but the Taliban, in a said in a statement late on Sunday, made no mention of a halt to Afghanistan’s escalating violence.
“This Eid Al Adha, the Taliban should lay down their weapons for good and show the world their commitment to the peace process,” the 15 missions and the Nato representative said, referring to Tuesday’s holiday in Afghanistan.
The statement was supported by Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the European Union delegation, Finland, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the United States and Nato’s senior civilian representative.
Over recent Eid holidays, the Taliban have called short ceasefires, saying they wanted to let Afghans spend them in peace.
This time there has been no such announcement as the Taliban make swit territorial gains in near-unprecedented levels of fighting nationwide as Us-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal ater 20 years of fighting.
Monday’s statement also condemned rights violations, such as efforts to shut schools and media outlets in areas recently captured by the Taliban. Taliban have previously denied such actions.
The Taliban said on Monday they had captured the Dehrawood district in Uruzgan province, southwest of Kabul, ater heavy clashes with government forces the previous night. Provincial officials confirmed the Taliban advance.
In the northern province of Samangan, security forces managed to wrest Dara-e-sof Bala district back from insurgents, the military in the area said, adding that 24 Taliban fighters, including a shadow district governor and two commanders, had been killed.
Clashes were going on there on Monday. President Ashraf Ghani on Monday visited the provincial capital of Herat province in the west. The Taliban have captured all 17 of the province’s districts in recent days, barring the capital, Herat city, which is under siege.
In Doha, political leaders and the Taliban discussed a political setlement to end the conflict, the chairman of a council for peace, Abdullah Abdullah, who took part in the talks, said on Monday.
“We agreed to continue the talks, seek a political setlement to the current crisis, avoid civilian casualties, facilitate humanitarian assistance and medical supplies to tackle COVID-19 pandemic,” he said on Twiter.
In a statement late on Sunday, the Taliban said: “Both sides agreed upon the need for expedition in the peace talks, in order to find a fair and permanent solution for the current issue in Afghanistan as soon as possible.”