Turkey, US continuing contacts on security of Afghanistan airport: Minister

Turkey will hold a high-level meeting under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss ongoing talks with the United States over the former's bid to operate Kabul International Airport after the completion of NATO's withdrawal from Afghanistan, the defense minister has said.

"Our contacts [with the U.S.] will continue. No decision has been taken at the moment. We will discuss the developments and the results of the talks at a meeting chaired by our president. After the approval of our president, we will execute our plan," Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu Agency on July 2.

Technical talks between Turkey and the U.S. over the continued stay of the Turkish troops in Kabul's airport are still ongoing, Akar recalled. A delegation from Pentagon had paid a visit to Ankara to discuss the technical aspects of the deal with the Turkish Defense Ministry. Turkey says it can extend its stay in Afghanistan if its financial, logistical and security conditions are fulfilled by the U.S. through a bilateral agreement.

Akar did not give details about when the meeting on the Afghanistan mission will take place. "The airport needs to be kept operational. We are aware of it. In case the airport cannot operate, embassies will have to be shut down, and Afghanistan will turn into an isolated country and seriously suffer in terms of its international relations," Akar stated.

Turkey's talks for meeting its conditions are ongoing with the U.S. and some other countries, Akar informed, underlining the need for political decisions taken by the U.N. and NATO and for an agreement with the Afghan government.

"There is no decision yet. But talks continue. Afghanistan is our brother. We want to do...