The Taliban has expressed its opposition to a deal between the US and Turkey for the latter to take over the security of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
A spokesperson of the group said that the Taliban are against the presence of any foreign troops after the given deadline for their withdrawal from Afghanistan, TOLOnews reported.
"If they remain within the framework of NATO or Turkey or any other country, it will not be acceptable both for the people of Afghanistan and for the Taliban," former Taliban commander Sayed Akbar Agha said.
The US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces are slated to complete the drawdown by August 31. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that a deal has been agreed upon the post-withdrawal Kabul airport security.
Turkish President on Saturday had announced the agreement. "Our defence minister met with the US defence secretary, and we had a meeting with US and NATO to discuss the future of the Hamid Karzai International Airport." "We decided on what we accept in this respect and which conditions we do not agree upon."
Meanwhile, the Afghan government welcomed the move. "We welcome friendly countries for their cooperation in strengthening the capacity and management of the control of airports," Defence Ministry's spokesperson Rohullah Ahmadzai said.
This comes amid a spike in violence in Afghanistan. The Taliban has intensified its offensive against the Afghan government since the US start of a military drawdown in May. It now claims to have captured close to 85 per cent of the territory.
( With inputs from ANI )
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