Afghanistan says Istanbul talks with Pakistan fail over "unrealistic demands"

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Naeem has said that recent talks with Pakistan in Istanbul failed “due to unrealistic demands of the Pakistani side.”

He added that progress in the discussions, which Afghanistan had approached “with good intentions,” was hindered by a “lack of cooperation from the Pakistani delegation”, as per Afghan media.

Naeem emphasised that Kabul remains “ready for any reasonable agreement,” according to the Bakhtar news agency.

The Istanbul talks followed earlier efforts mediated by Türkiye, after negotiations between the two countries began in Qatar. On November 10, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unveiled a plan for a Turkish peacekeeping initiative aimed at preventing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

As part of the initiative, Erdoğan intends to send senior officials — the heads of Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry, and intelligence services — to Islamabad to explore ways to normalise bilateral relations.

President Erdoğan also expressed continued optimism about the peace process, stating that he “has not given up hope to bring a positive result to the peace talks.”

By Tamilla Hasanova