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Turkey offers to run Kabul airport, but puts conditions in place
Turkey has offered to guard and run Kabul’s airport after the United States and other NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan, but U.S. officials say Ankara is imposing conditions which need to be resolved as their leaders prepare to meet next week, Reuters reported.
Turkish officials say Ankara made the proposal at a NATO meeting in May when the United States and its partners agreed a plan to withdraw troops by September 11 after 20 years of war trying to defeat Taliban forces.
Turkish and U.S. officials have discussed possible requirements for the mission, some of which Washington has agreed to address, one Turkish official said.
“Following the United States’ decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, Turkey has made an offer to ensure the security of Kabul airport. In this framework, there are talks underway with NATO and the United States,” the Turkish official said.
A Turkish role securing the airport for international flights could help improve ties between Ankara and the West, sorely strained by Turkey’s purchase of Russian defence systems and disputes with European countries over drilling rights in east Mediterranean waters, Reuters reported.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday that Ankara’s offer was contingent on backup from those allies.
“We intend to stay in Afghanistan depending on conditions. What are our conditions? Political, financial and logistical support. If these are met, we can remain at Hamid Karzai International Airport,” his ministry quoted Akar as saying.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they welcomed the Turkish proposal but that Ankara was asking for too many U.S. “enablers” for the mission, Reuters reported.
The officials also cited some U.S. concern about Turkey’s reliability, given their other disagreements, but said Washington would find a way to make it work.
NATO leaders will discuss Afghanistan at a summit next Monday, where Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will meet Joe Biden for the first time since the U.S. president took office.
Securing Kabul airport could help persuade some countries to maintain a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. Last month Australia shut its embassy there due to security concerns.
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US Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting
The U.S. Justice Department has announced that it intends to seek the death penalty for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard near the White House in November, an incident that left one guard member dead and another injured.
Lakanwal, who previously worked with U.S. agencies in Afghanistan before relocating to the United States in 2021, appeared in a federal court this week and pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder.
Prosecutors told the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”
According to U.S. court documents, Lakanwal is accused of traveling from Washington state to the capital, where he allegedly attacked the two National Guard officers.
A third guard member detained him shortly after the incident. One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day later, while the second, Andrew Wolfe, remains under medical care.
Court filings claim Lakanwal had obtained a pistol shortly before the attack and had also purchased ammunition. Prosecutors say he conducted online searches related to Washington, D.C., before the shooting.
Lakanwal is scheduled to appear for his next court hearing in early May.
China has warned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the terrorist threat in Afghanistan remains severe and requires urgent international attention, citing the continued presence and activities of several extremist groups on Afghan soil.
Speaking at the Council’s meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Chinese envoy Sun Lei said organizations such as ISIL, al-Qaeda and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) are still operating in Afghanistan and pose “persistent threats” to the country and the wider region.
Sun referred to last month’s deadly explosion at a Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan, which killed seven people and was claimed by ISIL-K, as a reminder of the group’s ongoing operational capability. He urged the Afghan authorities to “attach great importance” to counterterrorism efforts and to take concrete measures to prevent the country from once again becoming a hub for extremist networks.
He added that China supports deeper regional cooperation — particularly among Central Asian states and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) — to jointly confront cross-border terrorist threats, while also helping Afghanistan stabilize its economy.
Pakistan’s envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also raised concerns, saying the Afghan authorities continue to provide a “permissive environment” for groups such as TTP, al-Qaeda, ISIL-K and ETIM/TIP. He warned that these organizations endanger not only Pakistan but the entire region, and highlighted the risk of advanced weapons left behind in Afghanistan falling into militant hands.
U.S. representative Mike Waltz broadened the discussion, noting the expansion of al-Qaeda affiliates and ISIL-linked groups in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the resilience of ISIL cells in Syria and Iraq. He said ISIL-K (Daesh) remains a persistent threat in Afghanistan, underscoring the need for sustained and coordinated global counterterrorism efforts.
Regional countries have repeatedly raised concern about terrorist threats in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns, reiterating that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates freed around 108 Afghan prisoners on the occasion of its National Day.
According to the statement, a number of those released have already returned to the country, while the remaining individuals will be repatriated in the near future after the completion of legal and administrative procedures.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the UAE government and relevant institutions for their cooperation and humanitarian gesture, and assured that efforts to follow up on the cases of Afghan prisoners abroad will continue.
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