Final month, Turkey provided to imagine the accountability of working and defending Kabul’s strategic Hamid Karzai Airport – landlocked Afghanistan’s fundamental gateway to the world – after American and NATO troops full their withdrawal from the war-battered nation.
As an settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan authorities continues to show elusive, and the safety scenario in Afghanistan deteriorates quickly, there’s a must discover Turkey’s motivations for making the supply.
Turkey, the one Muslim-majority nation in NATO, has lengthy been diplomatically and politically influential in Afghanistan. It not solely has deep-rooted historic, cultural, non secular and ethnic ties with Afghanistan but additionally with Pakistan – the Taliban’s principal backer. Up to now, it organised a number of summits between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to enhance dialogue between the neighbouring nations.
Whereas enjoying an energetic position within the multifaceted efforts to finish Afghanistan’s decades-old battle, Turkey maintained shut ties with numerous competing ethnic and political factions within the nation, together with the Taliban.
Turkey has over 500 troops in Afghanistan, however these troops don’t take part in fight – their actions are restricted to offering safety to the navy part of the Kabul airport and coaching Afghan safety forces. On account of its non-combatant position in Afghanistan, Turkey has higher relations with the Taliban than every other NATO nation and has just lately been tasked with facilitating the peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban. Although the Taliban has already warned Turkey to not hold its troops in Afghanistan past September 2021, Ankara is pressuring the fighter group to drop its objections to those plans by its allies, Pakistan and Qatar. Turkey has additionally determined to immediately speak to the Taliban on this matter.
On account of all this, Turkey is in a major place to offer safety to Afghanistan’s fundamental airport within the post-US period. And Ankara has loads to realize from taking up this significant accountability and thus remaining a key participant in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes no secret of his need to extend Turkey’s clout within the Muslim world. Below his rule, Turkey considerably elevated its affect in Muslim South Asia by media and academic initiatives. Turkish dramas, reminiscent of Resurrection: Ertuğrul, grew to become blockbuster hits in each Pakistan and Afghanistan, serving to flip public opinion in favour of Turkey.
Furthermore, in recent times, Ankara made numerous international coverage strikes aimed toward sidelining Saudi Arabia and positioning Turkey as the brand new chief of the Sunni Muslim world. It actively participated in regional conflicts, such because the Syrian conflict, towards Saudi Arabia and its allies, and has been vocal in its criticism of Riyadh on numerous points, from the Qatar blockade to the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. Turkish efforts to keep up a continued presence in post-US Afghanistan by turning into the gatekeeper of the Kabul airport are partly an extension of those geopolitical ambitions. By insisting on assuming a significant position in post-US Afghanistan, Erdogan desires not solely to problem Saudi Arabia’s management of the Sunni-Muslim world but additionally display Turkey’s gentle energy capabilities to the broader worldwide neighborhood.
Sustaining an energetic position in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal would additionally assist Turkey obtain its ambitions of accelerating its significance inside NATO and repairing its strained relationship with the US.
In July 2019, Ankara acquired S-400 missiles from Russia, which have been initially constructed to focus on NATO {hardware}. The acquisition strained Turkey’s relations with different NATO members, who thought of the transfer a menace to their safety. The US ultimately imposed sanctions on Turkey to precise its displeasure. US help for Kurdish forces in Syria, and Turkey’s operations towards these teams, in addition to the US’ refusal at hand over the preacher Turkey holds accountable for the 2016 coup try towards Erdogan, additionally strained the connection between Ankara and Washington.
By volunteering to offer safety to the Kabul airport and thus making certain that NATO maintains a presence within the nation after the US’s exit, Turkey is hoping to ameliorate its relations with Washington.
By projecting itself as an essential participant in Afghanistan, Turkey can also be hoping to boost its place and status in NATO. Currently, Turkey has come beneath scrutiny from its NATO allies for its interventionist insurance policies in Libya, Iraq and Syria. Looking back, Turkey’s presence in Afghanistan after the NATO troops’ withdrawal in 2014 has helped it improve its significance within the alliance by NATO’s Resolute Help coaching mission. Thus, Turkey is probably going hoping to realize related outcomes by remaining within the nation after the completion of the US’s withdrawal.
Furthermore, the Kabul airport will proceed to have strategic significance for NATO international locations that need to preserve a diplomatic presence there within the coming months and years. Guaranteeing the safety of the airport will undoubtedly assist Turkey acquire status within the eyes of those international locations.
Turkey and the US are nonetheless negotiating, and no remaining resolution has been made as to who will probably be tasked with securing the Kabul airport after the US withdrawal. Washington appears taken with Turkey’s supply, however thus far didn’t agree to fulfill Turkey’s situations, together with monetary, logistical and diplomatic help. In the meantime, the Taliban is quickly gaining territory, and Iran and Russia have already hosted the delegations of the Taliban and the Afghan authorities in an effort to revive the stalled peace talks. If Turkey actually desires this position, then time is of the essence.
The views expressed on this article are the authors’ personal and don’t essentially replicate Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.