Turkey, Qatar to discuss airports management with Taliban

Kabul: Taliban on Thursday said that a joint delegation of Turkey and UAE are negotiating over the management of five airports of Afghanistan.

Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan spokesperson Imamudin Ahmadi said that delegations of the two countries will begin talks with officials and technical teams of the ministry, reported Khaama Press. As per Ahmadi, the five airports in the discussion were Kabul International Airport, Kandahar International Airport, Mazar-e-Sharif International Airport, Khost Airport, and Herat Airport.

The ministry said that the government will fully focus on the country's national interests while signing agreements with Turkish and Qatari companies, reported Tolo News.

"The contract will be about the tower, ground handling and some more technical sections," said Imamuddin Ahmadi, a spokesman of the transport ministry.

The ministry said that after the agreement is signed, international flights will be operational for 24 hours a day in Afghanistan, Tolo News reported.

The development comes two days after the Turkish Foreign Minister had announced that Turkish and Qatari technical will visit Kabul and will meet authorities over the management of the airports.

Mevult Cavusoglu had said that the two countries will jointly take responsibility for the airports if they reach an agreement.

Earlier, the Qatari technical team had repaired Kabul International Airport after the US withdrawal was completed on August 31.

International and local flights were suspended at Kabul's international airport and across Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in mid-August.