Turkey says it welcomes Taliban statements since they seized control
Turkey is in talks with all parties in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, and views positively the messages of the Islamist militants since they took control of the country, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Cavusoglu was speaking a day after Turkish security sources said Ankara had dropped plans to guard and operate Kabul airport following the withdrawal of other NATO forces from Afghanistan because of the chaos which accompanied the Taliban victory.
The sources told Reuters Turkey was instead ready to provide technical and security assistance if the Taliban requested it.
"We are keeping up dialogue with all sides, including the Taliban," Cavusoglu told reporters on a visit to Jordan.
"We view positively the messages that the Taliban has given so far, whether to foreigners, to diplomatic individuals or its own people. We hope to see these in action as well."
The agency reminded that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has called for calm in Afghanistan and criticised the Taliban's advance, said last week he could meet the insurgents as part of efforts to end the fighting in Afghanistan.