KABUL: Around 30 Afghans previously employed by Turkey as part of NATO’s deployment in Kabul staged a protest Wednesday, accusing Ankara of abandoning them in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power.

Many had worked as interpreters or technical staff at Kabul’s military airport before the Taliban seized the capital on August 15.

A few weeks before then, the US military took over the airport until the last of its troops left on August 31 following the chaotic evacuation of around 120,000 Afghans — most associated with the 20-year-long foreign military presence.

“We want justice,” the group chanted in front of the Turkish embassy in Kabul, saying they had not been paid since the evacuation despite holding contracts valid until December 31.

Although the Taliban have banned public protests, they allowed Wednesday’s gathering to take place unhindered.