Turkish troops begin leaving Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): Turkish armed forces have started leaving Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country, says the Defence Ministry in Ankara.

The decision on withdrawing troops came after a careful evaluation of the current situation, the ministry said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The statement reported by Daily Sabah said: “Turkish armed forces (are) returning to their homeland with pride of successfully fulfilling the task entrusted to them.”

The Turkish forces have been in Afghanistan since 2002 under the UN, NATO and bilateral agreements to contribute to the peace, welfare, and stability of the Afghan people.

Also on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said: “Withdrawal from Afghanistan could be completed in 36 hours.”

PAN Monitor/mud