The Turkish president’s comments come as the Taliban continue a military offensive across Afghanistan following the departure of foreign military forces.
“The relevant institutions of the Turkish state are currently working until we have some talks with the Taliban. Perhaps even I may be in a position to receive the person who will be their leader,” Erdogan said during a television interview broadcast live on CNN Turk. and Canal D.
Erdogan said he previously spoke with Qatari leader Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Zani, and they discussed “where we can stop the measures taken by the Taliban and where we can take a step towards peace.”
Violence has escalated across Afghanistan as foreign forces, led by the United States, have almost completely withdrawn after 20 years of military operations.
The Taliban have quickly captured several administrative districts and launched attacks on towns and cities. The insurgent group has captured nine provincial centers of government forces in six days.
US President Joe Biden reiterated Tuesday that he did not regret his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.
Biden maintained that his plans to leave militarily have not changed despite the group’s successes on the battlefield, emphasizing that Afghanistan’s leaders must unite to “fight for themselves and their nation.”
Migrants from Afghanistan
Erdogan noted that the government is building walls along the borders with Iran and Iraq. “The walls that are erected there are to prevent these irregular migrants from entering our country.”
A significant part of the detained migrants are deported to Afghanistan by Turkish institutions, Erdogan added.
The president stressed that the Turkish state is not a place that someone frequently stops at. “We evaluate all of this and take our steps accordingly.”
Erdogan also denied that there was a flow of migrants across the borders of Turkey, a country that has been a key transit point for undocumented migrants who want to cross into Europe to start a new life, especially those fleeing war and the chasing.
Forest fires
The president, who described firefighter helicopters as “the most important aircraft in the fight against fires” in Turkey, assured that the number of these aircraft increased from 18 in 2002 to 39 in 2021 and approached 60 during the recent forest fires. in the country.
“Turkey ranked 46th in the world in 2015 among countries that increased their forest assets and rose to 27th place in 2020.”
The president noted that the nation “will probably buy a plane to fight fires” which will make the team and the fleet “much stronger.”
“Our burning forests will rise from their ashes. These areas will be reforested in the most efficient way and will go back to being forests,” said the president.
He also stressed that the government-backed housing agency TOKI will begin construction in one month in the areas affected by the wildfires with the goal of completing them within a year.
The Turkish leader also criticized those who were trying to smear the country’s firefighting efforts with fake news and information.
“I think that, with the opening of Parliament, work should be done on social media,” he said, adding that no digital media “is exempt from the law.”
Erdogan also thanked all countries for extending a helping hand to the country during the forest fires.
Some 285 forest fires were brought under control, while three continue to burn in the Aegean province of Mugla, the resort town of Antalya and the southwestern province of Burdur, according to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.