Turkic communities in Afghanistan raise concerns over Pakistani Taliban relocation in the north

In a letter to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, the Turkic communities in Afghanistan expressed their concerns regarding the alleged relocation of Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members to northern Afghanistan.

In their letter, they voiced apprehensions over the Taliban’s hostile policies towards Turks and other ethnic groups in the country’s northern regions.

Faryab governor in the previous government, Naqibullah Faiq, shared the letter on Twitter, emphasizing that thousands of people have signed and supported this document.

The Turk community of Afghanistan expressed in their letter that, “The sensitive situation in Afghanistan requires unity among all ethnic and religious groups. However, the Taliban’s actions of monopolizing power and implementing ethnocentric and discriminatory policies are exacerbating the crisis even further.”

They claim that the Taliban is strategically relocating TTP members under the guise of “immigrants” to alter the ethnic composition of these areas.

Under an agreement with Pakistan, the Taliban has agreed to relocate what they call “the Waziristan immigrants” from the southern border areas with Pakistan to northern Afghanistan. The group’s critics assert that these individuals are actually members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In their letter, the Turk community urged the UN Secretary-General, the international community, and UNSC to raise their concerns with Pakistan and the Taliban, investigate the matter, and take decisive actions to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists.

They also called on the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, to closely monitor forced displacement, the TTP settlement, and other human rights violations in the northern regions, particularly in Turk areas.

The letter emphasized that the sheltering and relocation of an armed rebel group by the Taliban serves as a clear example of their close ties to terrorist organizations worldwide, and it highlights their potential to make Afghanistan a ground for terrorist activities.

Moreover, while highlighting the adverse consequences of the Taliban’s “ethnic and discriminatory policies” and the settlement of foreign militia groups under the pretext of immigration, the Turk community declared their legitimate right to defend their life and property against any form of occupation.

In part of the letter, the Turk community voiced their dissatisfaction with the dire poverty and high unemployment rates among the Turks in the northern regions. They criticized the inadequate and unequal distribution of humanitarian aid, highlighting the urgent need for fair and sufficient assistance in the area.