(BNA): During a phone talk with Minister of Defense of Afghanistan Besmillah Mohamadi, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey will stand by the Afghan people as long as they want, Anadolu news agency reports. The ministers discussed issues related to the region and security at Kabul International Airport, the press release of the Turkish Ministry of Defense reads. Akar was quoted Akar as saying that Turkey and Afghanistan had displayed solidarity in the face of the difficulties both countries had faced throughout history. According to the statement, Turkey has long been carrying out its activities for the peace and welfare of its Afghan brothers. Turkey pledged to continue supporting the Afghan people, as it was important to keep the peace process in Afghanistan going. Turkey has been in talks with the US on guarding and running the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul after the exit of NATO troops from Afghanistan. During a briefing for the presses on Thursday, the ministry declared that Turkish troops won’t play an operational role in Afghanistan after the pullout of US troops.