Taliban warn Turkey against keeping troops in Afghanistan

Published on : 07/13/2021 – 11:59

The Taliban warned Turkey, Tuesday, July 13, against the planned maintenance of Turkish troops in Afghanistan after the departure of foreign forces from the country, scheduled by the end of August.

“The decision of the Turkish leaders is not judicious, it is a violation of our sovereignty and our territorial integrity”, declared the Taliban in a statement, denouncing a measure “condemnable”.

A few days earlier, Turkey had announced that its troops would ensure the security of Kabul airport after the end of the withdrawal of foreign forces via an agreement between Washington and Ankara.

“We consider the maintenance of foreign forces in our homeland, by any country whatsoever and whatever the pretext, as occupation and the invaders will be treated as such,” continued the insurgents.

“If the Turkish authorities do not reconsider their decision to continue occupying our country,” the Taliban “will resist them, as they have resisted 20 years of foreign” occupation, “they said.

City dwellers invited to surrender

After having seized large rural portions of territory in the last two months, during an offensive launched in favor of the beginning, in early May, of the final withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, the Taliban now surrounds several provincial capitals.

In parallel with this warning to Turkey, they invited city dwellers on Tuesday to surrender to avoid fighting in the cities.

“Now that the fighting from the mountains and the deserts has reached the gates of the cities, the Mujahedin do not want any fighting in the cities. with us in order “to reach a sensible agreement to avoid damage to their cities,” said a senior Taliban official, Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The Taliban “assure all the inhabitants (…) that Afghanistan will be their homeland to all and that no one will seek revenge,” he continued in an audio message relayed on Twitter by Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the movement.

With AFP