Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu discussed the latest situation in Afghanistan over the phone with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Çavuşoğlu thanked Qureshi for his support for Turkish citizens who want to return to Turkey from Afghanistan, while the two ministers agreed to coordinate closely on the situation in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said the foreign ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations and reviewed the latest Afghan situation, adding: "Qureshi stated that the recent visit of President Arif Alvi to Turkey for the launching ceremony of the MILGEM (the Patrol and Antisubmarine Warfare) Naval Ship further strengthened bilateral cooperation."
"The two Foreign Ministers also recalled the recent telephone conversation between (Pakistani) Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about developments in Afghanistan," the statement noted.
"Reiterating Pakistan's support for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Qureshi underlined the importance of an inclusive political solution as the best way forward.
"The Foreign Minister added that Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC) had underscored the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan for Pakistan and the region," it added.
Qureshi "expressed the hope that the Afghan leaders would work together to achieve an inclusive political settlement."
He also "added that the current situation in Afghanistan required sustained international engagement to ensure stability and long-term economic development."
"The two Foreign Ministers agreed to coordinate closely on the situation in Afghanistan," according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry statement.
"Spoke to my brother FM @MevlutCavusoglu on Afghanistan. A peaceful & stable Afghanistan is of paramount importance for Pakistan and the region," Qureshi also said on Twitter. "The primary focus is on ensuring safety, security & protection of Afghan rights," he noted, adding that forging an inclusive political settlement is the best way forward.
United States President Joe Biden ordered the American military to withdraw from Afghanistan before Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the U.S. by Taliban-backed al-Qaida.
The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan over after taking control of the presidential palace in Kabul, while Western nations scrambled on Monday to evacuate their citizens amid chaos at Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport as frantic Afghans searched for a way out.
It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the country after a lightning sweep that ended in Kabul as government forces, trained for years and equipped by the U.S. and others at the cost of billions of dollars, melted away.
The Taliban swept into Kabul on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing a stunning end to a two-decade campaign in which the U.S. and its allies had tried to transform Afghanistan.
Underlining that new realities have emerged in Afghanistan, Ankara says it will move forward accordingly while keeping communication with all relevant actors open.
Turkey appreciates the Taliban’s moderate statements and their pledge not to revert to their previous hard-line rule, President Erdoğan said late Wednesday, adding that Turkey is still prepared to protect Kabul airport following the Taliban takeover and is talking with all concerned parties.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also stated that Turkey would act in coordination with the international community in its stance on the recognition of the new government in Afghanistan.
