Taliban pays first visit to Turkey after takeover of Afghanistan

A high-level delegation of Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers, led by the acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has arrived in Ankara for meetings with Turkish officials, Foreign Ministry officials said on Oct. 14.

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NATO member Turkey maintained its embassy in Afghanistan after Western countries withdrew following the Taliban takeover and has urged those countries to step up engagement. Ankara also said it will only work fully with the Taliban if they form a more inclusive administration.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Oct. 13 said that he was planning to visit the Afghan capital Kabul with a group of counterparts.