Atmar thanks Turkey for its support of a democratic Afghanistan 

Afghanistan’s foreign minister Haneef Atmar Monday thanked his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu for supporting a sovereign and democratic Afghanistan at the historic intra-Afghan talks which began in Doha on Saturday.  

In a series of tweets, Mohammad Haneef Atmar said: “Thank you my brother Mevlut Cavusoglu for your strong statement of support for a sovereign & democratic Afghanistan. Your call for a humanitarian ceasefire and cessation of bloodshed is the voice of all Afghans. We appreciate your emphasis on a fair & lasting peace.”

On Saturday, Cavusoglu said a humanitarian cease-fire must be the priority as “fighting and talking cannot go together.”

“The ultimate objective shouldn’t be any form of peace but a fair and lasting one,” he said, adding that Turkey backs coordinated regional efforts supported by the wider international community for better regional connectivity, development, and reconstruction.

“We are ready to contribute to this process in every possible way, including hosting one round of the negotiations, as the largest international platform regarding Afghanistan, the heart of Asia, Istanbul process can be utilized particularly to support the post-peace efforts,” he stressed.

Cavusoglu’s call for an end to violence is just one of many world leaders who have called for a ceasefire which can lead to enduring peace. 

In an interview with Ariana News on Sunday, US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said the start of the intra-Afghan talks is a new beginning for the Afghan people and a way to “find a political formula for ending the war that could lead to a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.”

He said the Afghan and Taliban delegations need to agree on a reduction in violence.

This would then need to lead to a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire enabling the two sides to pursue talks in a peaceful environment, he said.

 “We demand violence be reduced and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire to be reached as soon as possible,” Khalilzad said.