Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım yesterday urged the Taliban in Afghanistan to enter peace talks with the Kabul government.

Yıldırım was welcomed by Afghan Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, upon arrival at the Qasr-e-Safaidar palace in the capital Kabul. Later addressing a joint news conference, the visiting premier commended on the Kabul government's offer of peace talks to Taliban as a "very brave step."

"Recently, the peace process, which Afghanistan put forward to completely resolve the terror issue in the country, is a very brave and a meaningful step," Yıldırım said, "Mostly, we expect the Taliban to benefit from this historic opportunity. Now, it is time to move from the past and build the future."

The prime minister also underlined the importance of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's recent trip to Kabul.

He assured all parties that Ankara would continue to support Afghanistan in fighting terrorism, and would also enhance bilateral ties in other fields including trade and defense.

Abdullah thanked Turkey for its role in ensuring peace and development in Afghanistan, and added Yıldırım's visit to Kabul will further strengthen ties between the two countries.

The Turkish prime minister is also scheduled to meet Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani later in the day.