Ankara's presence at Kabul airport a peace mission: Envoy

Afghanistan's newly appointed ambassador to Ankara on Aug. 12 said that Turkey's ongoing mission at the Hamid Karzai International Airport is in support of peace and stability.

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Speaking to a group of reporters from the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Turkey, Amir Mohammad Ramin hailed Turkey's role in Afghanistan.

"The whole idea of continuation of Turkey's important mission in Afghanistan is to ensure that the peace and stability in Afghanistan is maintained and strengthened," Ramin said.

He stressed that the peace and stability of "Afghanistan has close links to the economic development of the region, including preventing the influx of migration to all our neighboring countries and the region, especially Turkey."

"This is a peace mission. This is in support of peace and stability," he said, adding that Turkey's extended mission at the airport "will continue to have the support of the Government of Afghanistan, as well as the support of the other NATO members, especially the U.S.."

Ramin said that there are "five security layers" as part of the mission.

"Four of them will be handled by the Afghan security forces, and then Turkey will be inside the actual airport. And obviously the air defense will make sure that there's also security measures in place for civilian use of the airport," he added.

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Ankara has been running the military and logistic operations of the Kabul airport for six years as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission.

Turkey, whose forces in Afghanistan have always been noncombatants, has reportedly offered to guard the airport amid questions over how security will be assured along major transport routes and at the airport, which is the main gateway to Kabul...