Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said that the Taliban should "end the occupation of their brothers' soil," days after the insurgent group warned Ankara against extending its military presence to protect Kabul’s international airport, one of the most important gateways to the landlocked country. 

"(The Taliban) need to end the occupation of their brothers' soil and show the world that peace is prevailing in Afghanistan right away," Erdogan was quoted as saying by Reuters on Monday. He also said the approach by the Taliban was not the way that Muslims should deal with each other.

Turkey has been in talks with the United States to help secure Kabul airport after the withdrawal of the US and NATO troops, provided the latter provides financial, political, and logistical support for the deployment.

Last week the Taliban warned Turkey against those plans to keep some troops in Afghanistan to run the airport, calling the strategy reprehensible and warning of consequences.

Importantly, Erdogan also said that they would hold talks with the Taliban on the issue. “God willing, we will see what kind of talks we will have with the Taliban and see where these talks take us," Erdogan said. 

A functional and safe airport in Kabul is required for maintaining diplomatic and western aid personnel in the war-torn country. Concern has been growing as fighting has reached important populated cities, including in some provincial capitals. 

In the last two months, the insurgents have captured over 150 districts of Afghanistan’s more than 400 districts, though Afghan security forces have also launched operations to recapture fallen districts. In the last five days, they have recaptured at least 10 of the districts, but with heavy loss of lives.