Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar says Kabul International Airport should remain open in order to make sure foreign diplomatic missions don’t leave Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

Turkey has offered to retain its troop presents at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport beyond the Aug. 31 timetable for US forces to leave Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s new Ambassador to Turkey Amir Mohammad Ramin has labeled the Turkish presence at Kabul International Airport ‘a peacekeeping mission’.

“The whole idea of Turkey’s mission in Afghanistan is to maintain and strengthen peace and stability in this country,” Ramin said, Anadolu reports.