On Tuesday, Turkey’s Ambassador to Qatar, Mehmet Mustafa Göksu, stated that Ankara and Doha are collaborating over the Afghan issue. The ambassador’s remarks came during his interview with the Qatari news site Al Raya.
In his statements to Al Raya, Göksu said, “Ankara and Doha consistently discuss the humanitarian conditions and the security and political developments in Afghanistan given its significance to the Afghan people and international peace and security.”
Defining the cooperation between Turkey and Qatar as fruitful, the Turkish ambassador noted that Turkish-Qatari collaboration on the operation of Kabul airport is essential especially for those who are stranded in Afghanistan.
Stating that the aforementioned cooperation between the two countries has been building on providing technical support in running the airport, Göksu highlighted that Ankara and Doha share similar thoughts on paths that should be taken to establish security and stability in Afghanistan.
The Turkish ambassador also emphasized the significance of communication which would be maintained between the international community and the Taliban in order to transmit humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.
Göksu also expressed his country’s appreciation for Qatar’s diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people by welcoming the request of a number of countries to relocate their embassies from Kabul to Doha to maintain channels of communication for the Afghan people with the international community and to provide them with an air bridge of necessary humanitarian aid, as well as providing safe corridors for those who would like to leave Afghanistan.
Last week, the Taliban announced its new “interim government,” which drew heavy criticisms from international organizations and Western countries on the pretext that the government is not inclusive.
Meanwhile, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani paid a visit to Afghanistan two days ago, where he met with the country’s new Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund. During the meeting, the Qatari top diplomat reportedly called on the Taliban to include “all Afghan parties in national reconciliation.”
Sheikh Mohammed’s visit came as the highest-level of foreign visit to Kabul since the Taliban established control over the country.
