Turkey’s long-standing relationship with Afghanistan has “survived even the dark days of the Soviet occupation” and has deep roots in the humanitarian, cultural and military assistance spheres, Chris Kilford, history scholar and Canada’s former defence attaché to Turkey and several neighbouring countries, told Edward Stafford in an episode of the Anatolian Dispatch podcast series.

According to Kilford, Turkey tried to play all its cards “to keep itself at the airport”, but could not “get rid of the NATO tie-in”.