Kabul International Airport Must Remain Open, Says Turkey's Defense Minister

Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has stated that Kabul International Airport must remain open in order for foreign diplomatic representatives to not leave Afghanistan, Reuters reports.

Turkey has offered to keep its military personnel at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul until August 31, following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

“For this reason, we continue to insist that the airport must remain open,” Akar said during his visit to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. “This issue will be clarified in the coming days.”

Afghanistan's new ambassador to Turkey, Amir Mohammad Raheen, has termed Turkey's presence at Kabul Airport a “peacekeeping mission.”

“The entire idea of Turkey's mission in Afghanistan is to maintain and strengthen peace and stability in this country,” Raheen said, as reported by the Anadolu State Agency.