Türkiye, China Discuss Engagement With Taliban

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry has announced that Deputy Ambassador Berris Ekinci met with Yue Xiaoyong, China’s special envoy for Afghan affairs, to discuss ongoing engagement with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and joint efforts to address the country’s humanitarian crisis.

In a statement released Wednesday, May 21, the ministry shared a photograph of the meeting and said, “They exchanged views on engagement with Afghanistan as well as efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the country.”

Türkiye remains one of the few nations to have kept its embassy in Kabul operational following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. In recent months, Afghanistan’s embassy and consulates in Türkiye have also come under the control of Taliban-appointed representatives.

While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has openly criticized the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls, Ankara has maintained a cautious diplomatic approach toward the de facto rulers of Afghanistan.

China, by contrast, has pursued a more stable and pragmatic policy, sustaining close ties with the Taliban over the past four years. Beijing has accepted the Taliban-appointed ambassador and established active diplomatic relations with the regime in Kabul.

However, despite their varying approaches, neither Türkiye nor China has officially recognized the Taliban government.