Turkey’s defense minister discusses Afghan security in visit to Pakistan
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested yesterday he may meet with Taliban leadership.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan called for “face-to-face” dialogue between Turkish officials and the Taliban over stability in Afghanistan as that country descends further into civil war.
Khan said efforts would be made to establish such talks after meeting with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who visited Pakistan’s capital on Thursday.
Speaking at the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad, Akar said that his government’s plan to secure Kabul’s international airport after NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan will “take shape” in the coming days, but offered no specifics, Reuters quoted him as saying.
His comments come as Taliban insurgents make sweeping gains in Afghanistan while government forces struggle to hold areas outside the capital. The Islamist insurgents have rejected Turkey’s proposal.
