The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) held an Extraordinary Meeting on 27 September 2021 in Istanbul on the situation in Afghanistan upon the invitation of H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.

The Meeting, which was hosted by H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and chaired by H.E. Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was attended by H.E. Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Ruslan Kazakbaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Abdulaziz Kamilov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, H.E. Baghdad Amreyev, Secretary General of the Turkic Council as well as H.E. Viktor Mátis, Ambassador of Hungary to the Republic of Turkey.

Following extensive and constructive talks on the subject, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Turkic Council;

Having been closely monitoring the developments in Afghanistan, a country with close regional and cultural links,

Reaffirming the respect of their States for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter,

Emphasizing the right of all Afghan people to live in safety, security and with dignity in Afghanistan,

Having noted the announcement of the interim authorities in Kabul on 7 September 2021,

Stressing the importance of forming inclusive and participatory governance, respect for human rights of all Afghan citizens without any kind of distinction,

Underscoring the importance of preventing and combating terrorism in Afghanistan to ensure that its territory will not be used to threaten or attack any country by any terrorist organization,

Drawing attention to the serious harm caused to the people of Afghanistan and the international community by the continued illegal production and trafficking of narcotic drugs in Afghanistan,

Commending the work of the High-level Ministerial Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan on Monday, 13 September 2021, convened by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres,

Expressing concern about the current dire state of the Afghan economy and particularly the risk posed to Afghan people’s livelihoods due to the sharp decrease in economic activity,

Declared that they;

1. Support the stabilization and humanitarian efforts of the international community in Afghanistan,

2. Stand ready to contribute to all efforts to assist the Afghan people in their endeavor to achieve lasting peace, national reconciliation, stability and development,

3. Emphasize the importance of political reconciliation, the full restoration of security and civil order as well the overall protection of human life and property in Afghanistan,

4. Encourage efforts ultimately aiming for the establishment of an Administration that is united, inclusive and representative, reflecting the rich diversity of the Afghan nation,

5. Stress the importance of observing international humanitarian law, and protecting human rights and ensuring the safety and security of all in Afghanistan,

6. Emphasized the necessity to ensure the safety and security of diplomatic missions, staff and their families, in accordance with international principles,

7. Emphasize the need to ensure that effective measures are continuously being taken in Afghanistan to prevent and combat terrorist organizations such as DAESH and Al Qaida in Afghanistan and prevent them from moving to neighboring states,

8. Stress the need to prevent illegal production and trafficking of narcotic drugs in Afghanistan,

9. Called for sustained efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan through effective, transparent and accountable mechanisms, and on all parties to allow immediate, safe and unhindered access for UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations providing assistance,

10. Urged the international community to coordinate an effective and sustainable response to the risk of increasing displacement of Afghans, that also addresses the situation in the neighboring countries that are already hosting a large number of Afghan refugees,

11. Further called for international support to alleviate the dire situation in Afghanistan’s economy and to take measures aiming to protect the Afghan people’s livelihoods.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Turkic Council decided to remain in consultation and coordination regarding the various aspects and repercussions of developments in Afghanistan, including in the fields of hu-manitarian efforts, human rights, migration and refugee flows, counter narcotics and counter terrorism.