Turkey Stresses Historic Ties, Economic Cooperation with Afghanistan
The Turkish ambassador in Kabul told that after the 2021 developments and the return of the Islamic Emirate, Turkey did not close its embassy in Afghanistan and has continued constructive and effective engagement with the Afghan government.
According to Cenk Ünal, relations between Afghanistan and Turkey are rooted in history, and preserving and strengthening these ties is one of Ankara’s current priorities.
He said: “As you know, Turkey is one of the few countries that did not close its embassy here. Since 2021, we have continued constructive and quality engagement with Afghanistan. We have a friendship and brotherhood with Afghanistan that is rooted in history, and strengthening these ties is our duty in this period.”
The Turkish ambassador further added that Turkey is working to expand economic and trade relations with Afghanistan, and recently, more Turkish businessmen have been traveling to Afghanistan.
He added: “There are issues we attach special importance to; at the top of them is the development of economic and trade relations, which is also important for the Afghan government. Recently, we have seen more and more Turkish businessmen traveling to Afghanistan, and this makes us happy.”
Some experts emphasize strengthening ties between Kabul and Ankara, saying that expanding cooperation in economic, political, and cultural areas can contribute to regional stability and the shared interests of both countries.
Moeen Gul Samkanai, a political analyst, said: “Turkey wants to have close relations with Afghanistan. This country is very important because it is a NATO member, and half of its territory lies in Europe while the other half is in Asia.”
Abdul Zuhor Mudaber, an economic analyst, also said: “Due to its strategic location, Turkey can serve as a suitable transit country for transporting Afghan goods to European countries. Overall, the more Kabul-Ankara relations expand, the more it will benefit Afghanistan.”
On March 29, 2025, the Turkish ambassador in Kabul had said that investors from his country had invested billions of dollars in Afghanistan’s mining and energy sectors.
