President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
The call addressed regional issues, the developments in Afghanistan in particular, and steps to enhance Türkiye-Russia relations.
The two leaders exchanged condolences over the Turkish and Russian crew who had lost their lives while fighting the fire in Kahramanmaras last week.
Stating that Türkiye attached great importance to the cooperation between Türkiye and Russia in the energy sector, President Erdoğan voiced Türkiye’s expectation for the increase of natural gas flow via the Turkish Stream, which was one of the signs of the cooperation in that field.
Also touching upon the developments in Afghanistan, President Erdoğan said Türkiye could maintain the responsibility of security and operation at Kabul airport in the future, and that this responsibility to be maintained by Türkiye would contribute to the eliminating of the concerns of all the parties, the international community and the Afghan people in particular.
Voicing Türkiye’s hope for a smooth transition in Afghanistan, President Erdoğan underscored that it was of importance that the Taliban did not repeat the mistakes of the past, acted with an inclusive approach towards all the ethnic groups and honored the promises it had made.
President Erdoğan further noted that the new government to be formed in Afghanistan should be inclusive and representative in a way that would reflect the diversity of the Afghan people.
Describing the beginning of the talks between the Taliban and the Republic leaders in Kabul as promising, President Erdoğan drew attention to the necessity to keep the channels of dialogue open with the Taliban during that process and carry out a gradual engagement rather than an approach based on severe conditions.
President Erdoğan said that although Türkiye considered the messages of the Taliban to be moderate for the moment, the Taliban's actions, rather than its words, would ensure the shaping of the period ahead.
President Erdoğan and President Putin of Russia had agreed on being in coordination regarding the relation to be developed with the government to be formed in Afghanistan in the upcoming period.