BRUSSELS (SW) – Turkey’s ambassador to NATO, Basit Ozturk, has said the forthcoming peace conference in Istanbul will complement the Doha peace talks.
In an interview with Brussels-based correspondent Layluma Sadid, the Turkish envoy said the Istanbul conference shall take place in a few days’ time. Ambassador Ozturk said he hoped the meeting will bring good results for the people of Afghanistan.
“I want to say that the meeting that Turkey intends to host will complement the Doha talks, and we have always been in favor of a peace process led and owned by the people of Afghanistan in their country,” said Ozturk.
“The people of Afghanistan, the international community and the United States have asked us to host this conference.”
The Turkish ambassador to NATO said that all regional and international actors have been invited to the Istanbul conference and will be present because this meeting is held in cooperation with the United Nations, Turkey, the United States and Qatar. According to him, it is first and foremost the duty of Afghan leaders to show that they have the will to find a political agreement before others in the region and to support this process.
“The Istanbul meeting could be an introductory meeting following what was happening in Doha; But I hope this meeting can have a good result for the citizens of Afghanistan. Because the basic responsibility of the citizens of Afghanistan is to find a political solution to the peace process, and all leaders must agree on a political agreement and involve all sections of the society.”
According to Ozturk, stability and security in Afghanistan are very important for the whole heart of Asia region economically and commercially, especially for commercial transportation. On the other hand, he said that the role of Iran and Pakistan in the Istanbul summit is very important. According to him, Iran and Pakistan are very important neighbors of Afghanistan. “I have no doubt that Pakistan and Iran also support this process and would like to see Afghanistan peaceful, secure and prosperous; because the whole region will benefit from such Afghanistan in the heart of Asia.”
According to the Turkish official, it is the citizens of Afghanistan who have to make the final decision about the future of their country. “No country should try to impose anything on Afghan citizens,” he said. “All of Afghanistan’s citizens and their leaders must show their will and determination to make a serious decision,” he said.
In connection with the fact that Turkish troops are also present in Afghanistan as part of a Resolute Support mission, Ozturk said that these troops have never been used as combat forces in Afghanistan. According to him, this is the first issue that should be mentioned and the people of Afghanistan should know it.
“We have made it very clear to all NATO allies, the people of Afghanistan and the world that we are only working to train, assist and advise the Afghan army and police officers in that country,” he said. “So we have been mainly in Afghanistan for reconstruction. We spent more than $ 1 billion there. We have built schools, clinics, roads, bridges and more, and this is an investment for the future of Afghanistan and should not be ignored.”
The Istanbul conference is scheduled to take place in the coming days. However, the exact time of this meeting has not been determined yet, but media reports suggest the conference might begin on Apri. 16 later this month.
It is said that the Afghan government will attend the conference as Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation has called the meeting as crucial for Afghanistan.
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