'Turkey may take steps on running Kabul airport if deal can be reached with Qatar, Afghanistan'

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Having previously run Kabul airport, Turkey can take similar steps in the future, along with Qatar and Afghanistan, if the three countries can reach a deal, the Turkish president said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that during a recent visit to Turkey, the Taliban had asked for humanitarian aid and "made requests concerning the functionality of new process in Afghanistan."

On these requests, Erdogan vowed to provide "all manner of support" to the Afghan people.

A Taliban delegation paid a visit to Turkey on Thursday to discuss bilateral issues as well as cooperation on the future of Afghanistan.

Citing recent casualties in Syria, he also underlined that in the coming period, Turkey would pursue its struggle in this war-torn country against terror groups and the Bashar al-Assad regime in "a very different way."