By Shadi Khan Saif
KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Sunday urged the Taliban in Afghanistan to enter peace talks with the Kabul government.
Yildirim was welcomed by Afghan Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, upon arrival at the Qasr-e-Safaidar palace in the capital Kabul.
Later addressing a joint news conference, the visiting premier commended on the Kabul government’s offer of peace talks to Taliban as a “very brave step”.
“Recently, the peace process, which Afghanistan put forward to completely resolve the terror issue in the country, is a very brave and a meaningful step, ” Yildirim said, “Mostly, we expect Taliban to benefit from this historic opportunity. Now, it is time to move from the past and build the future. ”
Yildirim also underlined the importance of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s recent trip to Kabul.
He assured that Ankara would continue to support Afghanistan in fighting terrorism, and would also enhance bilateral ties in other fields including trade and defense.
CEO Abdullah thanked Turkey for its role in ensuring peace and development in Afghanistan, and added Yildirim's visit to Kabul will further strengthen ties between the two countries.
The Turkish prime minister is scheduled to meet Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani later in the day.
