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Afghanistan marks 100 years of diplomatic ties with Turkey
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Afghanistan and Turkey on Monday, Afghan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar said that Turkey has had a key role in the country’s reconstruction and joint counter-terrorism efforts post-2001.
Addressing an event to mark the occasion Atmar said he hopes Turkey will maintain its sincere cooperation with the peace efforts in Afghanistan.
“As we celebrate the centennial of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, we wish to further develop our cooperation in every aspect in this special year; hope that the ongoing violence in Afghanistan comes to an end and lasting peace and calm will prevail in the country,” Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said that so far, Turkey has made comprehensive contributions to Afghanistan both on a bilateral level and through the efforts of the UN and NATO.
“Turkey’s development assistance program for Afghanistan is currently one of the largest assistance programs towards a country,” read the ministry’s statement.
The diplomatic and political relations of Turkey and Afghanistan commenced on March 1, 1921 through the signing of Turkey-Afghanistan Alliance Agreement.
Afghanistan at the time became the second country to recognize the Turkish Grand National Assembly of the time, which had been struggling to counter aggressive invasions of the Allied Powers.
Meanwhile the Turkish Embassy in Kabul was the first diplomatic mission in Kabul. This distinguished friendship, extracted from kinship, brotherhood and sisterhood, promoted the relations through the following decades.
This comes after Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted a motion to parliament at the end of last year to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan for 18 months as part of NATO’s support mission, according to sources.
Turkey has about 1,200 soldiers in Afghanistan under the NATO mission.
“Turkey, which has deep friendship and brotherhood ties with Afghanistan, has always backed the unity, integrity and independence of Afghanistan,” the statement read.
The motion will be debated in parliament after December 18, as local media Anadolu Agency reported.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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