The Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has appointed Saniullah Farahmand, a Turkmen cleric with no prior diplomatic experience, as the group’s “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” to Türkiye.
The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Afghan embassy in Ankara, where Muttaqi stated that diplomatic ties between the Taliban and Türkiye had been upgraded to ambassadorial level. He described the move as a reflection of “good cooperation and positive relations” and expressed hope that it would help further strengthen bilateral engagement.
Muttaqi also claimed that relations between the Taliban government and Türkiye are now “almost normalised.” He added that Turkish citizens were travelling to Afghanistan “for investment and tourism,” and cited an economic growth rate of “2.7 percent” under Taliban rule.
According to the UN Comtrade database, Türkiye’s exports to Afghanistan in 2024 totalled approximately $210 million.
Farahmand, the new ambassador, holds the religious title of “Sheikh al-Hadith,” signifying his expertise in Islamic traditions. His public social media presence suggests he has primarily been involved in teaching Tajwid (rules of Qur’anic recitation), Qur’anic studies, and Hadith, particularly those of Imam Bukhari.
Despite not formally recognising the Taliban government, Türkiye has maintained a diplomatic presence in Kabul since the fall of the previous administration. The appointment of Farahmand is part of the Taliban’s broader pattern of assigning religious scholars to key government and diplomatic positions.
