Thu 14 October 2021:
As Afghanistan’s new government continues its diplomatic campaign for support and legitimacy, a high-level Taliban team has landed in Turkey’s capital for negotiations.
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Twitter on Thursday that acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and other ministers would meet “senior Turkish officials” to discuss “issues of mutual interest”, including aid, migration, air transport and trade.
Balkhi said the invitation was extended by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The visit comes a day after Cavusoglu told reporters that he and other foreign ministers will travel to Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, for talks with the Taliban, who took control of the country in August.
It also comes after days of negotiations in Qatar, where the group appealed with US and European authorities to end country’s isolation, including relaxing banking restrictions that the country claims are harming it.
After Western countries departed following the Taliban takeover, NATO member Turkey kept its embassy in Afghanistan and urged those countries to increase their commitment. At the same time, it stated that it will only completely cooperate with the Taliban if the latter adopts a more inclusive government.
Turkey has also been collaborating with Qatar to assist operate and reopen Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan’s capital.
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