Saniullah Farhamand, the Islamic Emirate’s ambassador to Turkey, met on Friday with Mehmet Aktaş, Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Interior, to discuss the expansion of relations between Kabul and Ankara.

The Afghan Embassy in Turkey said in a statement that Farhamand and Aktaş, during this meeting, discussed bilateral cooperation in political, cultural, and consular fields, as well as issues related to Afghan migrants residing in Turkey.

Turkey is one of the countries that maintains close relations with the Islamic Emirate. It has also mediated alongside Qatar in efforts to resolve tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, hosting two rounds of negotiations between Afghan and Pakistani delegations.

Meanwhile, analysts consider the increased diplomatic cooperation between Kabul and Ankara important for expanding interactions between the two countries.

This meeting comes at a time when Turkey has recently intensified the detention of Afghan refugees and their transfer back to Afghanistan.

In the latest incident, Turkish media reported that the country’s coast guard detained 24 Afghan refugees, including 15 children, and sent them to a foreign nationals’ return center for transfer to Afghanistan.

The Turkish Coast Guard said these individuals were identified in a dangerous inflatable boat off the coast of Ayvacık as they attempted to travel illegally to Europe.

Recently, Turkey’s Ministry of Interior announced that from January to October of this year, 30,099 Afghan refugees had been identified and detained in various cities across the country.

Turkey has also closed irregular migration routes to Europe and does not permit undocumented migrants to leave through illegal pathways.

Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, announced during his visit to Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province that the Chabahar port transit route is secure, reliable, and open for trade, and that economic cooperation and joint investment with Iran will be expanded.

Speaking at the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Economic Meeting on Saturday, Azizi said that trade capacity between the two countries has increased. He added that establishing competitive routes with regional ports, including Karachi, is a priority to reduce costs and facilitate commerce.

Azizi emphasized that economic development remains the cornerstone of the Afghan government’s agenda. Both domestic and foreign investment are fully supported, he said, noting that initiatives in the Chabahar Free Zone and transit projects are expected to boost employment and trade growth.

The minister also highlighted Afghanistan’s commitment to constructive engagement with all neighboring and Muslim-majority countries, stressing that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and mutual respect to ensure regional stability.

Addressing the country’s ongoing drought, Azizi described the situation as “critical” and stressed that Afghanistan has maintained water flow to Iran in accordance with principles of good neighborliness, continuing close coordination with Iranian authorities to manage shared water resources responsibly.

Pakistan announced on Friday that it is prepared to receive its nationals currently residing in Afghanistan, provided they are formally handed over through the Torkham and Spin Boldak-Chaman crossings.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andarabi said during a press briefing that Pakistan would accept any Pakistani citizen and their families returning from Afghanistan, but stressed that the handover must occur at the Torkham or Chaman points.

He accused the Islamic Emirate of attempting to portray members of militant groups as refugees or civilians seeking shelter. “This is not a humanitarian or a refugees crisis, but a ploy to frame terrorists as refugees,” Andarabi said.

The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s concerns about what it describes as a surge in attacks since the Islamic Emirate took power in Kabul in 2021. He said the Islamic Emirate have failed to act against militants using Afghan soil to target Pakistan, despite repeated assurances.

Andarabi added that while Pakistan remains committed to dialogue with Kabul, it will not negotiate with militant groups.

The statement followed the conclusion of the third round of Afghanistan-Pakistan talks held in Istanbul earlier this week, mediated by Turkiye and Qatar.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that militant groups carrying attacks in Pakistan have sanctuaries in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, denies the claim.

Two weeks ago, Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that during the Istanbul negotiations, the Pakistani side was informed that the Islamic Emirate was willing to deport people Islamabad considers a security threat. However, Pakistan did not accept the offer.