Neighbourhood watch: Erdogan’s visit seen as key to regional stability

Analysts believe Ankara can mediate between Islamabad and Kabul


Tahir Khan October 31, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Kabul and the signing of a Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Afghanistan has raised a lot of hope over Ankara’s role in ushering in an era of peace in the region.

The Turkish president promised his country would help reconstruct Afghanistan. He said higher education would be provided to Afghan students in Turkey and his government would support and train Afghanistan’s security forces. The Turkish president also stated his country would build a university and equip a hospital in the war-torn country.



Erdogan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai also inaugurated a road built west of Kabul with the financial assistance of Turkey. With his visit on October 18, Erdogan became the first Turkish president to visit Afghanistan in five decades and the first Muslim leader since the inauguration ceremony in Kabul late September.

Turkey, a Nato member, is considered one of the major players in the region. There are 400 Turkish soldiers in Afghanistan, as part of Nato’s force, and they are believed to be training Afghan security forces. Turkish officials say their soldiers will stay and continue their mission in Afghanistan.

Turkey is also an active member of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, a regional cooperation agenda which presents a new vision to build a secure and stable Afghanistan. The process, launched in November 2011 in Turkey, aims to rally regional cooperation for security and development in Afghanistan as well as its near and extended neighbours.

Political analysts say Afghanistan, more than any other time in the past, needs the support of friendly countries, especially neighbouring and regional ones. Turkey has solid ties with regional stakeholders and can play an effective role in helping Afghanistan out of its crisis. The Afghan media has also been largely positive about the Turkish president’s visit as Kabul has maintained better relations with Ankara over the last 13 years compared to other governments.

A trinity

Afghans believe Turkey could play a pivotal role in improving the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Turkey is of importance to Afghanistan—economically and politically. It can encourage Pakistan to develop constructive and positive cooperation with Afghanistan,” read a comment piece in the private daily, Hasht-e-Sobh.

The pro-government Sarnawesht newspaper adopted a similar tone, describing the visit as a good omen for relations with Pakistan and for peace talks.

“Turkey’s relations with Pakistan and its stature in the Islamic world are such that they can help Afghanistan achieve peace and stability. The Afghan government must use this opportunity,” read one of the editorials in the paper.

Turkey had been engaged in the Afghan peace process to some extent as it had established a trilateral mechanism with Kabul and Islamabad. The first trilateral meeting between the three countries was held in 2007 at a time when the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan had reached its lowest point. However, the Turkish leadership succeeded in providing Pakistani and Afghan leaders a chance to hold talks. Turkey also plans on hosting the next trilateral meeting, which observers believe will be crucial as Nato brings its combat mission to an end.

Turkey wanted to play a role in the peace process and the idea of a political office for the Taliban came up during the trilateral meeting. Pakistan and Afghanistan were initially upbeat over the proposal, however, both did not respond, says a former Islamabad-based Afghan diplomat.

Despite being part of Nato, Turkey also established contacts with the Taliban last year after Turkish engineers were kidnapped when their helicopter made an emergency landing south of Kabul. Their release paved the way for contact between the Taliban and Turkish government. A Taliban delegation also visited Turkey later.

It is also widely believed Muslim-majority countries and the OIC have not been very active over the last 13 years. However, some of them seem more interested now in active engagement in a post-Nato Afghanistan. Since the OIC and other such states played a key role in the Afghan peace process in the past, their involvement could also be acceptable to the Taliban.

Afghans are aware of the proactive role such counties can play, at least for peace, in Afghanistan. Any instability could pose a threat to whatever Afghans have achieved over the years.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2014. 

COMMENTS (1)

ali | 9 years ago | Reply

TE is making a mistake. A puppet president of Kabul and CEO, Afghanistan is being run like McDonald by Uncle Shame. Until the real stake holders, the Taliban are brought into the main stream, there will be no peace in Afghanistan.

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