Thomas West, United States Special Representative for Afghanistan, began a visit to the region on Wednesday and will meet with Afghans in Turkey, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
In Turkey, West will meet with Afghan political figures and civil society members.
The statement of the US State Department said, "West is conducting outreach in the region to secure input as the international community seeks solutions to Afghanistan’s compounding challenges, made worse by the Taliban’s recent decisions to limit women’s participation in humanitarian operations and ban them from their vital work for the UN.”
According to the US state department, in Istanbul, West will hold consultations with Afghan political leaders, journalists, humanitarian professionals, and human rights activists.
There is no further explanation of the details of these consultations with the Afghan political leaders in particular.