KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The leaders of Turkey and Qatar stressed the importance of the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and the respect for the fundamental rights of its people.
In a joint statement on Friday, November 15, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, reaffirmed their commitment to promoting stability in Afghanistan.
The statement was issued after the 10th session of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee, held in Ankara on Thursday, November 14.
“Both leaders emphasized the importance of respecting fundamental rights and inclusive governance and also highlighted the need for coordinated engagement with Afghanistan,” part of the statement reads.
The statement also emphasized the continuation of humanitarian aid and sustainable development for the Afghan people, as outlined in the Independent Assessment prepared and endorsed by the UN last year.
Qatar played a key role in the talks between the US and the Taliban, leading to a deal that facilitated the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan and ultimately resulted in the Taliban’s takeover of the country in August 2021.
The country continues to host the Taliban political office, which plays an important role in the regime’s engagement with other nations. Qatar has also hosted three UN-initiated talks on Afghanistan since last year, focused on finding solutions to the country’s worsening crisis.
Afghanistan under Taliban rule remains largely isolated from the international community, as no country has yet recognized the regime. This isolation is mainly driven by concerns over the formation of an inclusive government, the protection of human rights—especially those of women and girls—and the severing of ties with terrorist groups.
Despite the Taliban’s desire for greater engagement with the region and the wider world, the fundamentalist regime has maintained its hardline policies, denying women and girls access to education and employment while maintaining ties with terrorist groups.
Over the past three years, the international community, including the US, Russia, China, Islamic countries, and neighboring nations, has repeatedly urged the ruling regime to respect and uphold human rights and establish a government that represents all ethnic groups and political parties in the country.
The Taliban authorities, however, have consistently rejected such calls from the international community, accusing them of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
The Taliban claims that their government is inclusive and that they address human rights, including women’s rights, based on their interpretation of Islamic law.
