Turkish troops to be evacuated from war-torn Afghanistan - defense ministry

"Turkish Armed Forces have been returning to their homeland with pride of successfully fulfilling task entrusted to them," Turkey's National Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday while announcing the evacuation of the Turkish troops from war-torn Afghanistan.

Turkey had more than 500 non-combat troops stationed in Afghanistan as part of NATO's now-abandoned mission in the war-torn country.

It had been negotiating with both the Taliban and Washington about playing a role in protecting the airport after the US troop withdrawal, which is scheduled to be completed on Tuesday.


But the Taliban's swift capture of the Afghan capital left those plans in disarray.

"It is important for Afghanistan to stabilise," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said as the troop withdrawal was announced.

"Turkey will continue to be in close dialogue with all parties in Afghanistan in line with this goal."

Since 2002, the Turkish Armed Forces have operated in Afghanistan under the UN, NATO, and bilateral agreements to contribute to the peace, welfare, and stability of the Afghan people, the statement said.

It added that the Turkish troops intervened together with the soldiers of other countries during the chaos and ensured security at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

As many as 1,129 civilian Turkish citizens were evacuated through military aircraft during the process, the statement noted.