ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's military has begun evacuating from Afghanistan, the defence ministry said on Wednesday, after the Taliban had asked Ankara for technical help to run Kabul airport but insisted it withdraw its military by the end of August. President Tayyip Erdogan's government had said for months it could keep a presence at Kabul airport if requested after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. But Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Taliban insisted that Ankara's military also withdraw fully by the end-August deadline. Mainly Muslim Turkey was part of a NATO mission in Afghanistan and still has hundreds of troops at Kabul airport. "We want good relations with Turkey, the Turkish government and the Muslim people of the Turkish nation," he said.

Source: The Star August 25, 2021 17:37 UTC