Turkish Airlines Resumes Flights To Kabul After Nearly Three Years

The Turkish Embassy in Kabul announced that Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Kabul on Tuesday.

The Turkish Embassy in Kabul announced that Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Kabul on Tuesday.
This airline had suspended all its flights to Afghanistan in August 2021 following the Taliban's takeover.
Turkish Airlines officials previously stated that the airline would have four flights per week from Istanbul to Kabul and vice-versa.
Yesterday, the Turkish Ambassador in Kabul wrote in a note on the X social media platform that Turkish Airlines is returning to Afghanistan "strong and ready”.
Flydubai and Air Arabia have also resumed their flights to Afghanistan.


Relatives of Ezatullah Zawab told Afghanistan International on Monday that he has been released from Taliban captivity and has reunited with his family.
He went missing on the Kabul-Nangarhar route last month, but it was later revealed that the Taliban officials had detained him.
Zawab is renowned among Pashtuns for his satirical and critical poems.
Sources close to him told Afghanistan International that the poet had posted a poem on Facebook a few days before his arrest, which the Taliban interpreted as a protest against their policies. At that time, the Taliban did not provide details about the reason for his arrest.
Ataullah, Zawab's son, wrote on his Facebook page that his father was detained by the Taliban while travelling to Jalalabad to finalise the new issue of the Meena magazine.
Zawab is a resident of Nangarhar, but after the fall of the previous government and the Taliban taking over power, he went to Kabul, where he owned both Meena magazine and a bookstore.
The Meena magazine, known for its literary, artistic, and humorous content, is very popular among young people. It began publication in 2002.

National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) announced on Monday that it attacked a Taliban outpost in the Pul-e Hesar district of Baghlan province.
The Front claimed that one Taliban member was killed and two other members were injured in this attack.
The Taliban have not yet responded to the claim by the NRF.
In recent weeks, this anti-Taliban group has reported multiple attacks on Taliban checkpoints and outposts.

Thomas West, the United Nations’ Special Representative for Afghanistan met Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, on Monday.
They emphasised on the importance of joint cooperation to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2721 and to assist the Afghan people, particularly women.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on the X social media platform on Monday that the two sides discussed "collaboration on a pathway towards security, stability, and prosperity for all the people of Afghanistan, especially Afghan women”.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs' note did not specify which issues related to Resolution 2721, adopted on December 29, 2023, were discussed by Nusseibeh and West.
At that time, Nusseibeh was the UAE's ambassador to the United Nations and, alongside Western countries critical of the Taliban, proposed several resolutions in support of Afghan women and against the prohibition of women's education and employment.
Resolution 2721 addresses how to engage with the Taliban government in Afghanistan. It was adopted with the aim of creating a coherent and coordinated international approach to restore peace and stability in Afghanistan.
The resolution emphasises on the appointment of a UN special coordinator for Afghanistan.
The Taliban oppose the appointment of a new representative with full authority, considering the presence of the head of UNAMA in Afghanistan to be sufficient.
In this meeting, Nusseibeh stressed on the importance of supporting Afghan women's rights and strengthening their role in society.
West also expressed appreciation for the UAE's support and emphasised on the continuation of bilateral cooperation to advance shared goals.
Tom West wrote on X social media platform that the two countries share common views on the economy, security situation, and the need for a unified diplomatic approach towards Afghanistan.

The Taliban's Minister of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Khalid Hanafi, has urged media officials to refrain from activities against "Islamic Sharia and Afghan culture," stating that such actions are unacceptable to the group.
Hanafi emphasised that the media should contribute to the "Islamic education" of the next generation.
Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), under Taliban control, reported on the meeting between officials from the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and media representatives in Kabul.
During this meeting, Hanafi reiterated his request for media activities to align with "Islamic Sharia”.
Earlier, Taliban intelligence officials in Parwan instructed the media to implement the "principles of Islamic Sharia and the Islamic Emirate (Taliban)”.
Additionally, the Taliban’s intelligence directorate has warned journalists in other provinces that they will face consequences if they act against Taliban principles.
The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on media and journalists, enforcing censorship and preventing the unfiltered broadcasting of people's problems.
Over the past three years, the Taliban have shut down some media outlets, harassed, imprisoned, and tortured journalists.
Media support organisations view these actions by the Taliban as violations of freedom of expression and have called on the group to lift the existing restrictions on media and journalists.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) announced on Monday that it attacked a Taliban checkpoint of the group’s Ministry of Defence in the Karte Naw area.
The Front claimed that "two Taliban members were killed and another was injured" in this attack.
Residents of Kabul also told Afghanistan International that they heard a relatively loud explosion in the city.
In a note on the X social media platform, AFF wrote that a directorate of the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has been "setting up checkpoints in the Chaman-e-Huzuri and Karte Naw areas of Kabul, causing harassment to the people”.
The Taliban have not yet commented on this attack.