Turkey, Qatar and the United Nations will continue efforts to achieve peace in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, in a joint statement on the postponement of the peace conference in Istanbul.
"In view of recent developments, and after extensive consultations with the parties, it has been agreed to postpone the conference to a later date when conditions for making meaningful progress would be more favorable," the statement said, adding that Ankara, Doha and the U.N. will "resolutely continue their earnest efforts to achieve peace in Afghanistan."
Afghanistan peace talks set to take place in Istanbul have been postponed and will take place after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Tuesday.
The meeting was scheduled for April 24 to fast-track an agreement between the Taliban and Afghan government in light of the announcement by Washington that foreign troops would leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11 and end America's longest war.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a letter to Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani which stated that Turkey would be asked to host a senior-level intra-Afghan peace meeting in the near future to finalize a peace agreement.
Following the news, Turkey expressed its readiness to take part in mediation efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan and the region.
