Taliban calls for departure of all troops
THE TALIBAN yesterday called for the withdrawal of all international forces from Afghanistan within the timeline specified in the Doha agreement.
The militant group issued a statement to mark the first anniversary of the peace deal it signed with the United States in Qatar on Feb. 29 last year.
The Taliban is also demanding the release of more prisoners and the removal of their names from blacklists.
Following the Doha deal, the Taliban stopped attacking the U.S.-led NATO forces in the country but continued their attacks against the internationally backed Afghan government. According to the agreement, all international forces would gradually leave Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. In return, the Taliban committed to renounce violence and enter into peace talks with the government.
The intra-Afghan talks started in mid-September, but there has been no tangible progress yet.
All sides accuse each other of violating the provisions of the agreement. Currently, the new U.S. administration under President Joe Biden is reviewing the agreement. NATO allies are weighing a possible extension amid fears that the Taliban could seize power if troops withdraw too soon.
The Taliban has warned of a “never seen before” war and is rejecting a possible extension of the troops’ withdrawal timeline.
Su bardağı: This is a standard-sized Turkish “water glass” and is used to measure all kinds of things. The liquid volume of these glasses is 200 milliliters and can be compared to a classic U.S. cup of measurement.
Çay bardağı: The iconic thin-waisted/tulip-shaped Turkish “tea glass” is used in lieu of a water glass to measure a lot of things. While there are now a wide variety of tea glasses, which do lean more on the bigger side nowadays, the ones mentioned in classic Turkish recipes refer to a liquid volume of 100 milliliters.
Yemek kaşığı, tatlı kaşığı and çay kaşığı: These are the three different kinds of spoons you can encounter in a Turkish kitchen but if you are from Europe or the U.S. you may fall victim to misunderstandings. A “yemek kaşığı” is a tablespoon and is roughly the same all around the world. A “tatlı kaşığı” is when things start to get confusing. Meaning “dessert spoon,” this type of spoon is what the world calls teaspoon. But in Turkey, a “çay kaşığı,” aka Turkish teaspoon, is significantly smaller, which considering their tiny tea glasses is a necessity. About four Turkish teaspoons equal a U.S. or European teaspoon in volume.
Tutam, çimdik and fiske: These three mean essentially all the same: a pinch. But the thing is that “tutam” is used for more substantial things such as chopped-up parsley or alike, usually involving at least three fingers rather than the usual two. Çimdik and fiske are used more for salt and other seasonings. Fiske could even be considered a flick, and smaller in amount than çimdik.