Amir Khan Muttaqi. Photo: tolonews.com
Afghanistan’s foreign minister in the Taliban* government, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has called on Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to return military helicopters flown out of the country by Afghan pilots in August 2021, Tolonews reported.
“We ask those countries that, as a result of political events four years ago, took some of our helicopters and handed them over to neighboring states, to return them to the Afghan people so they can be used for humanitarian purposes,” Muttaqi said during a meeting in Kabul with diplomats and representatives of international organizations.
He also addressed international sanctions, noting that banking restrictions make it difficult for Afghans abroad to send money home, including to support earthquake victims.
On September 8, Afghanistan International reported, citing sources, that Uzbekistan was preparing to return 57 helicopters removed from Afghanistan in 2021. On September 11, The Kabul Times quoted Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid as saying that Uzbekistan had agreed to return the aircraft. “This will be an important step in restoring Afghanistan’s aviation capacity and strengthening ties between the two neighboring countries,” Mujahid was cited as saying.
However, Uzbek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Akhror Burkhanov denied the claim to Gazeta.uz. “Such reports do not correspond to reality. Uzbekistan’s position remains unchanged, and these so-called news items are fake,” he said.
The question of the aircraft has been raised repeatedly since 2021. According to the Taliban defense ministry, about 60 planes and helicopters were flown to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in mid-August 2021 as Afghan forces evacuated equipment during the Taliban’s rapid takeover. Pentagon data indicated that 46 aircraft ended up in Uzbekistan and 18 in Tajikistan.
In January 2022, Taliban defense minister Mohammad Yaqoob warned Tashkent and Dushanbe of “consequences” if the equipment was not returned, saying: “I respectfully urge [Uzbekistan and Tajikistan] not to test our patience and not to force us to take every possible retaliatory step.” Uzbekistan responded by briefly restricting electricity supplies to Afghanistan, restoring them after one day.
Later, U.S. Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said the aircraft would not be returned to Afghanistan. In April 2022, Ismatulla Irgashev, the Uzbek president’s special representative for Afghanistan, announced that the aircraft would be handed over to the United States, since they had been purchased by Washington.
In June 2023, the Afghan defense ministry again called on Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to return the aircraft, insisting they were the property of the Afghan people. “Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are our neighbors. We want good relations with them and call on them to return these planes out of neighborly and diplomatic respect. We will get them back anyway, when the time comes,” ministry representative Enayatullah Khwarazmi said.
Earlier this year, Uzbekistan sent seven Black Hawk helicopters from the “Afghan batch” to the United States. The Taliban defense ministry condemned the move, arguing that the equipment belonged to Afghanistan and should be returned, and stressed the country’s right to access its own military resources.
*The Taliban is designated as a terrorist organization in several countries, including Russia.
