Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in the capital, Ankara, on Friday. The two ministers discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan, and Qatari-Turkish aid to this country to restart Kabul International Airport.
Al-Jazeera correspondent in Istanbul Omar Al-Hajj stated that the brief statement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry clarified that the main reason for the meeting between the Foreign Minister and his Qatari counterpart was the developments in Afghanistan, adding that both countries submitted to the Taliban an offer to operate Kabul Airport, and there was no response to their request, but the Turkish technical teams And Qatar Airways is currently operating the airport.
The visit of the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs to Turkey is part of a foreign tour that he started yesterday, which has so far included Iran and Pakistan, and is expected to also include Russia. This tour revolves around the Afghan file, in addition to the relations between Doha and these countries.
Kabul Airport
Minister Çavuşoğlu had stated a few days ago that 19 Turkish aviation experts are present at Kabul Airport, and that they contribute to its management and operation.
A few days ago, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a Turkish news agency that Turkey is a brotherly country to Afghanistan, and that the Taliban is working to strengthen relations between the two countries. Mujahid praised the Turkish and Qatari role in operating Kabul Airport.
Al-Jazeera correspondent stated that Ankara has not yet expressed an official position on the interim government announced by the Taliban two days ago, adding that Turkey's position towards this government is characterized by cautious optimism.
Yesterday, the Qatari minister expressed his country's thanks to the Taliban for allowing civilian flights from Kabul Airport.
He added in a press conference in Islamabad with his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, that the conduct of these flights means that Afghanistan has a free crossing for people, from which they can travel and return as they wish.
humanitarian aid
Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman also called for the development of a mechanism to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, separate from any political calculations.
I held a series of fraternal meetings in #Pakistan, where we emphasized the importance of bilateral and strategic relations between the two countries and the consensus of views on #Afghanistan.
We stress the need to develop a mechanism for providing humanitarian assistance, and that this assistance should be separate from any political calculations.
pic.twitter.com/5D27BkWlwy
— Muhammad bin Abdulrahman (@MBA_AlThani_) September 9, 2021
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has praised Doha's role in supporting peace in Afghanistan.
In a statement after his meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, he said that the Qatari role was effective in Afghanistan, and called on the international community to show solidarity with the Afghan people and to participate positively in finding lasting peace and achieving stability in this country.
Prior to his visit to Pakistan, the Qatari Foreign Minister met with his counterpart Hussein Amir Abdollahian, in the Iranian capital, and discussed with him bilateral relations and regional and international files, including Afghanistan.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry added that Abdullahian stressed to his Qatari counterpart the importance of supporting dialogue as a way to resolve differences between the countries of the region, and that there should be a comprehensive government in Afghanistan that includes all segments of society, and that the United States is responsible for the suffering of the Afghan people.
international efforts
For his part, Minister Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman said in a tweet that the aim of the meeting was to "discuss the Afghan issue and discuss developments," stressing that "the State of Qatar believes in the need for concerted international efforts and visions towards Afghanistan to ensure a complete and comprehensive solution."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman's foreign visit comes a few days after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Doha, where he obtained a new pledge from the Taliban to allow Afghans wishing to leave the country to leave the country unimpeded.
And in the middle of last August, the Taliban movement took control of Afghanistan, in parallel with the start of a final stage of a US military withdrawal that was completed at the end of that month.