KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey’s intelligence agency, and Hamad bin Khamis Al-Kaabi, deputy head of Qatar’s National Security Council, have visited Kabul and held meetings with several senior Taliban officials, the Taliban confirmed.
In a statement, the Taliban Ministry of Interior said that Ibrahim Kalin met Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqan on Wednesday, September 16.
The two sides discussed expanding relations between Afghanistan and Turkey in various areas, particularly security, counter-narcotics and some regional issues, the ministry said, without providing further details.
According to local sources, Kalin also held separate meetings with Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs; Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban defense minister; and Abdul Haq Wasiq, head of the Taliban intelligence agency.
Meanwhile, Hamad bin Khamis Al-Kaabi, deputy head of Qatar’s National Security Council, also travelled to Kabul and met Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban’s Defense Minister, the group’s defense ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said the two sides discussed the “continued strengthening of friendly relations” in various areas and reaffirmed their commitment to further cooperation. It did not provide details about the specific issues discussed.
The simultaneous visits by senior Turkish and Qatari security officials come as Afghanistan remains a focus of regional security concerns, including cross-border tensions and the activities of militant and extremist groups.
The Taliban has not publicly disclosed the purpose of the two officials’ visits. No details were given about any specific security arrangements or commitments resulting from the talks.
Turkey and Qatar have previously mediated talks between the Taliban and Pakistan aimed at reducing tensions between the two sides. Several rounds of negotiations have taken place, but the talks have so far failed to produce a lasting agreement to resolve the disputes.
Turkey and Qatar have maintained engagement with the Taliban since the group returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, while neither country has formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate ruler.
