Afghanistan–United States relations

‘Our Country Is Turning Into Afghanistan’, they say

UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly T. Clements has called on the Taliban to discuss the plight of Afghan refugees and their return to the soil as many of them flee the war-torn nation when it seized power in Afghanistan last year.

National Geographic magazine's famed green-eyed "Afghan Girl" has arrived in Italy as part of the West's evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover of the country, the Italian government said on Nov. 25.

Turkey on Oct. 8 condemned the terror attack targeting a mosque during Friday prayers in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz.

Turkey's presidential spokesman told a German news website on Oct. 1 that Ankara was a strong NATO member and unconditionally loyal to the alliance.

Ibrahim Kalın told Der Spiegel magazine that Turkey contributed to many NATO missions and problems between member countries should not weaken the alliance.

Senior Pentagon officials said on Sept. 29 the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal.

The top U.S. military officer called the 20-year war in Afghanistan a "strategic failure" and acknowledged to Congress that he had favored keeping several thousand troops in the country to prevent a collapse of the U.S.-supported Kabul government and a rapid takeover by the Taliban.

Turkey's presidential spokesman met on Sept. 22 with the U.S. national security adviser at the White House.

Ahead of a one-on-one meeting on Sept. 21 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, the U.S. and Turkey's top diplomats said they would continue to work on Afghanistan.

Kabul International Airport has officially announced that it is open for domestic and international flights, Khaama Press reported, citing a source from the Civil Aviation Authority.

As a result of the terrorist act of August 26, the runway was severely damaged.

Technical experts from Qatar and Turkey helped resume operations at the international airport.