Turkish President: We have no right to turn our backs on the Afghan people

The President of the Republic of Turkey says that the establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan is a common aspiration of all of us and we have no right to turn our backs on the people of Afghanistan.

The statement was made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a speech at the opening ceremony of the 16th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.

“We have a common desire for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said. “We have no right to turn our backs on the Afghan people.”

Emphasizing the continuation of the country’s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, the Turkish President added: “Especially the continuation of humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan is a priority in these difficult circumstances. “For our part, we support Afghanistan and the Afghan brothers who have historical ties.”

“Turkey is continuing its efforts to prevent unrest and renewed conflict in Afghanistan,” Erdogan said. “The Islamic world, in addition to sending humanitarian aid, must also take an active part in this.”

“Turkey, which hosts more than 5 million refugees, including 3.6 million Syrian refugees, will not tolerate the new wave of refugees,” he said, noting that developments in Afghanistan would create a new wave of migration.

According to him, the main burden of the migration and asylum crisis is on the neighboring countries of the crisis-stricken regions more than the Western countries, which have raised their voices.