Afghanistan–United States relations

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.

The Pentagon retreated from its defense of a drone strike that killed multiple civilians in Afghanistan last month, announcing on Sept. 17 that a review revealed that only civilians were killed in the attack, not an Islamic State extremist as first believed.

"The strike was a tragic mistake," Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told a Pentagon news conference.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken beat back criticism of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan on Sept. 13 at a contentious congressional hearing where at least two Republicans called on him to resign.

In a pre-recorded message to mark the 20th anniversary of 11 September terror attacks, US President Joe Biden remembered the events as a moment defined not only by heroism but "unity and resilience." "We learned that unity is the one thing that must never break," Biden said in a six-minute video filmed at the White House, news wires reported.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded with the international community, during an interview with AFP on Thursday to maintain a dialogue with the Taliban in Afghanistan, warning that an "economic collapse" with possibly millions dying must be avoided.

Turkish and Qatari foreign ministers on Sept. 10 discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan and bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Taliban on Sept. 6 said their officials held discussions on the situation in Afghanistan with Turkey's ambassador to the country.

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Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said on Twitter that Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, head of Taliban's Political Office Department for Turkey and Russia, met with Turkish Ambassador Cihad Erginay in Kabul on Sunday.

The U.S. is "working closely" with its allies in Turkey and Qatar on quickly reopening Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sept. 3.

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"We're working closely with our partners Qatar and Turkey to help get the airport in Kabul up and running as quickly as possible," he told reporters at the State Department.

Last month, after the Taliban took power, Turkey evacuated more than 1,400 of its citizens from Afghanistan, the spokesman for Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) said on Sept. 2.

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