Minister of Refugees meets Sadin Ay Yildiz, discusses Afghan migrant issues in Turkey

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, met Wednesday with Sadin Ay Yildiz, head of Turkey’s diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, and discussed the expansion of bilateral cooperation as well as addressing the problems of Afghan migrants in Turkey.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Refugees quoted Yildiz as saying: “Afghanistan holds special importance for the Government of Turkey, and currently, in addition to governmental assistance, several Turkish non-governmental organizations and institutions are also engaged in providing aid to those in need and implementing development projects in Afghanistan.”

According to Yildiz, Turkey supports a stable and self-reliant Afghanistan and believes that Afghanistan holds an important position in regional connectivity.

He added that Ankara supports dialogue in resolving Afghanistan’s issues and continues its efforts in this regard.

He further stated that Turkey has issued work visas for 20,000 Afghan citizens in the livestock sector alone and is seeking solutions to irregular migration.

During the meeting, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir expressed appreciation for Turkey’s assistance and cooperation in various fields, adding that relations between Kabul and Ankara have always been based on mutual respect and cooperation, and expressed hope that ties between the two countries will become even closer and more expanded.

Abdul Kabir stated that Afghanistan, by achieving full security and stability, has numerous opportunities, and efforts are ongoing to make Afghanistan an important and active part of regional connectivity.

Emphasizing cooperation between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Turkey, he also referred to some of the challenges faced by Afghan migrants in Turkey and said that the Islamic Emirate supports the voluntary return of Afghan migrants.

At the end of the meeting, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir once again expressed satisfaction with Turkey’s mediation in talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan and described Turkey as a friendly country to Afghanistan.