ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
Potential U.S. support to the idea of Turkey hosting a political office for Taliban militants from Afghanistan has given a boost to the initiative, first suggested late last year.
Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who heads the Afghan High Peace Council, discussed the issue during a visit to Turkey last month, a member of the council told the Associated Press.
“Turkey didn’t say no,” Arsala Rahmani was quoted as saying. “It is a key issue for resolving the situation in Afghanistan. It’s important for the Taliban to have a political address – a place – to talk to the world face-to-face. We have said in the past that without an address, solving the problem will be difficult.”
No official application has yet been made for such an office, but Turkish approval could bolster Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s efforts to integrate moderate Taliban into mainstream society, a senior Turkish Foreign Ministry diplomat said Monday.
“This is an issue still under discussion. The Americans also say an office can be opened,” the diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We are not acting on our own. This can happen only with the positive opinion of every party concerned.”
Rahmani, a member of the peace council set up by the Afghan government to work toward a political solution, told the Associated Press that Turkey is already making plans for the office but it will take time to work out the details.
The issue is expected to come up during the visit of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who was scheduled to be in Ankara late Monday.
“Pakistan fully supports Afghan efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan,” a Pakistani Embassy spokesman told the Daily News.