The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has officially requested the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) to grant Afghanistan observer status. In an official letter sent to Baghdad Kultaevich Amreyev, the Secretary-General of the Turkic Council, Mohammad Haneef Atmar, the acting foreign minister, requested Baghdad Kultaevich Amreyev to give Afghanistan observer status in the Council.
Amir Mohammad Ramin, the Afghan ambassador in Ankara, officially submitted the letter to the office of the Turkic Council, said a statement issued on Wednesday, May 05, by the MFA.
In response, Mr. Amreyev welcomed the move and regarded it as an important step to strengthen cooperation between Afghanistan and the member states.
The Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States was established in 2009, with aim of promoting comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking states. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey are its core founding members.
In October 2019, Uzbekistan joined the Council as a full member. Later Hungary received observer status at the Turkic Council. In September 2018, the Kyrgyz Republic received observer status.