Purple Saturdays Movement: The Taliban Have No Right to Negotiate Over Bagram

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The Purple Saturdays Movement, in response to the recent tensions between the Taliban and Donald Trump, President of the United States, issued a statement emphasizing that the Bagram Air Base is an inseparable part of Afghanistan’s territory and that no illegitimate group, especially the Taliban, has the right to make decisions about it.

On Tuesday (23 September), the movement warned: “The Taliban are a terrorist group and a blatant violator of human rights that has established a regime of gender apartheid in Afghanistan through the illegal seizure of power. This group has no domestic or international legitimacy and does not represent the people of Afghanistan. Any agreement or bargain with the Taliban regarding the Bagram base means legitimizing terrorism.”

The Purple Saturdays Movement also criticized U.S. policy, saying that the President of the United States is entering into negotiations with the Taliban at a time when the interests of Washington and the Taliban are being considered, but the people of Afghanistan, the true owners of this land, are being completely ignored.

The movement emphasized: “Just like the infamous Doha Agreement, this time too the fate of the Afghan nation is being bargained behind closed doors; a deal that will have harmful and irreparable consequences.”

It is noteworthy that the Bagram Air Base, which for nearly two decades was the main center of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, came under Taliban control after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. Since the middle of this month, Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that this base be returned to the United States, saying that if Bagram is not handed over, “bad things” will happen.

The Taliban rejected this request and called it a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, stressed that not even one meter of Afghan soil will be surrendered and that Taliban forces are ready to respond strongly, even with another 20-year war.

However, a few days later the Taliban, in a softer-toned statement, referred to the Doha Agreement and declared that the United States had pledged not to use force against Afghanistan. They added that based on Sharia principles and a balanced, economy-oriented foreign policy, the Taliban seek positive relations with all countries and that Washington must remain committed to its obligations.