Turkey Ends Mediation Efforts Between Afghanistan and Pakistan

Indian media, citing a senior political and security source, have reported that Turkey has withdrawn from mediating between Kabul and Islamabad after failed efforts to de-escalate tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to Turkish officials, the withdrawal was due to Pakistan’s “unreasonable demands,” which had previously been rejected by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as well.

News of Turkey’s withdrawal from mediation comes just two months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had announced the dispatch of a high-level delegation to Islamabad aimed at facilitating talks between Kabul and Islamabad.

Following rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Turkey proposed to mediate in late October and even hosted three rounds of dialogue between the two countries. However, those talks failed to produce any tangible outcome.