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Washington, Aug 25 (UNI/Sputnik) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu about cooperation in the ongoing evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to discuss our continuing cooperation in Afghanistan and our efforts to ensure the safe and orderly evacuation of our citizens, allies, and partners,” Price said in a readout of the call on Tuesday.
The United States is ramping up its withdrawal from Afghanistan from the Kabul airport in an attempt to meet the August 31 deadline it had agreed on with the Taliban (banned in Russia). The Biden administration said on Tuesday that the deadline is contingent upon the Taliban’s cooperation with the evacuation operations.
On Monday, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party spokesperson Omer Celik said Ankara could not accept a single Afghan, saying Turkey is not a refugee camp.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the weekend and agreed to work together to help international aid organizations with the evacuation, adding that it is a top priority.
UNI
